


Something About Us

by Katonyx



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 2nd person POV, Aftercare, Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, Body Worship, Crying During Sex, Emotional Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Time, Gentle Sex, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Levi is her bodyguard, Loss of Virginity, Multiple Orgasms, Murder Mystery, Oral Sex, Original Character Death(s), POV Female Character, Praise Kink, Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn, reader is a princess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:07:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 52,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27628606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katonyx/pseuds/Katonyx
Summary: After an attempt on his daughters life, the king decides to hire someone outside the royal guard to keep her safe from corruption within. Yet when he dies, his death is blamed upon none other than the person he was trying to protect. Can she solve who killed her father and also prove her innocence? Now seems like a really bad time to be falling in love.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader
Comments: 66
Kudos: 232





	1. Prologue

You looked up across the castle gardens, the heat of the summer sun feeling like a blanket as it warmed you and your friends. Mikasa and Eren were to your left with wooden training swords held clumsily in their too small hands while Armin sat in the grass to your right reading a book and probably being whisked away to some far off world of fairytale creatures. The grass below you was the only reprieve from the ever growing warmth.  
  
It had only been a couple years since the trio had come to live within the castle. Only two years ago a plague had run through the kingdom and devastated nearly half of the population in its wake. Mikasa had already lost both of her parents at that point and had been living with Eren when his family became ill. Your father had been close with them, a local baron and baroness who owned land near the capital and were always vocal supporters of the king. 

When they died it had only seemed rational that he take them in as an act of good will. They now ‘worked’ for the crown as your own personal attendants. It was just a title though. In reality the two of them were treated nearly the same as you, the princess and one of the few royal children currently residing in the castle. The only real requirements from them were to keep an eye on you and strive to make something out of themselves. They both seemed pretty set on joining the Kingsguard to be honest.  
  
Armin was a bit different. You looked back at him and giggled as you watched his eyes widen at some unknown plot twist within his story. He had been here from day one and been your first real friend. His parents were members of the Kingsguard and died in a skirmish defending the kingdom’s southern border.  
  
Your earliest memories were of getting into trouble with him in the kitchens as you stole extra pastries. He warned you that the maids would find the both of you and retaliate by giving you only beans and bread for dinner. It hadn’t stopped you from doing it though and it hadn’t stopped him from eating some of the pastries you nicked.   
  
But you knew he had felt loss, too. The only people he had left were you and his elderly grandfather who worked as the King’s steward and most trusted advisor. He barely even remembered his parents according to what he had told you in confidence.  
  
Your heart couldn’t help but ache. You were all so young still and yet your best friends had already been through so much that you could never even begin to imagine. You promised that one day when _you_ were Queen you would change things so no one in your kingdom would have to feel that kind of loss ever again.  
  
Mikasa and Eren’s sudden yelling broke you out of your thoughts. They were waving at your sister from across the field you were all sharing. Annie was never overly emotional and she didn’t wave back but you could all see the happiness in her eyes at being invited over to play.   
  
“Think fast!” Eren cried out before he pounced on her, having dropped the training sword and getting ready to tussle. Annie put up a good fight, though. She had always excelled in scrapping with Eren. If anything, she could fight almost as well as Mikasa but wasn’t scared to give him a taste of his own medicine. She sent him sliding through the grass on his ass with one good kick, making you and Armin laugh. Mikasa looked down at Eren, disappointed.   
  
That’s how the majority of your day went. Kids simply enjoying each other's company. Armin gave up on his book after a little while and you all decided to play hide and seek at Annie’s request. In reality she was probably just tired of grappling with Eren and constantly hearing him whine every time she knocked him to the ground.   
  
“One day I’ll teach you how to actually fight. Then maybe the Kingsguard will accept you.” She made sure to tease before moving on to their next game.  
  
Mikasa was the first to be the seeker. She was always the best at it and the round would be over quickly which let them get through anyone else who might want to be seeker. The second she started counting you all dispersed in various directions.   
  
Eren was following close beside you but all it took was a hard shove to tell him to get his own hiding spot. Neither of you said anything, not wanting Mikasa to hear where you went, but he glared daggers at you as he turned down a different hallway. You decided to hide in the royal assembly room. Even if Mikasa _did_ check there she would have so many chairs, tables, and curtains to look at that you might even get lucky enough to run off before she spotted you.  
  
You chose to hide behind a curtain and made sure to move far enough back that your feet didn’t stick out. That and if you were there for long you could even sit on the little window outcrop.   
  
Not long after you settled in you heard the assembly room door open.   
  
_Mikasa couldn’t have found me that fast, could she?_   
  
Eren was almost always the first one to be found when she was seeker, much to his dismay, but there had been times she went after someone else to throw them all for a loop. You held your breath in wait but...there were two sets of footsteps and they sounded far too heavy to be Mikasa or any of your other friends.  
  
“Your majesty, I really can’t see there being any other option with an outcome you desire. Marley isn’t going to stop encroaching on the border unless we give them reason to halt. Our Kingsguard isn’t large enough to deter them and neither is our militia. Even if we instituted a draft-”  
  
“Don’t you think I understand that?” The voice was unmistakably your father’s, “If I thought we could scare them off with sheer numbers alone, I would have already done so. The damn man behind them is all but a _tyrant_ , Arlert. I don’t want to hand one of my _children_ off to him. He’d turn them into power hungry dogs.”  
  
“I hardly believe the man to be a tyrant, your majesty...but I digress. It would be his son who she would wed. Perhaps the boy will one day have a better head for these things. His mother appears to be a kind woman and one can only hope he takes after her. It does appear our only option unless you have another idea to bring to the table.”  
  
“That’s what I love about you, Arlert. Straight to the point aren’t you? You are right, of course. I can’t throw away my whole kingdom for my own selfish reasons. She’s just so...young. So headstrong. I had always hoped to give her the opportunity to marry a young man of her own choosing but she will understand one day. She loves this kingdom already. She’s already told me that one day she plans on ‘getting rid of all the sadness in Eldia’. Such an innocent girl...”  
  
“I can send word to Marley in the morning, sir. We could have the two meet within a month’s time if you wished. Give them a chance to meet and build their relationship.”  
  
“No! Let the girl keep innocence at least for a while. Let her learn the workings of the kingdom. Let me teach her the importance of personal responsibility. She wouldn’t understand it yet. Let her have a normal childhood playing in the sun. I don’t need her to grow up with a heart already clad in armor because I put the shackles on her too soon. Come, we can go to my chambers to write up the correspondence and our initial requests. I need a drink.”  
  
And almost as soon as they arrived, they were gone. You peaked your head out from behind the curtains just in time for Mikasa to barge in and see you, Eren and Armin already in tow. She pointed at you and Eren let out a triumphant yell of, “She found Annie first this time!”  
  
You didn’t care to dwell on the conversation you heard as you quite honestly didn’t understand most of it. All you knew was that Marley was the kingdom to the south and according to your father they didn’t like your kingdom very much. Apparently Eldia and Marley hadn’t been friends for a while but your father always said that one day the two kingdoms would be allies again. Hopefully they were talking about a way to make that happen.   
  
Though you were curious about who was supposed to be getting married. It had been a long time since there had been a royal wedding. The last one had been your father marrying Annie’s mother and you had been too young to remember it.   
  
_A wedding must mean that people in the castle are happy! I wonder if they’ll let me help decorate..._  
  
You shrugged and followed Mikasa and the others to help them track down Armin.

  
━━━━━━━━┓ 6 Years Later┏━━━━━━━━

You didn’t meet your supposed betrothed for a few years. It was a rainy day and you had been stuck cooped up inside for most of it. Armin was away with his grandfather and learning the thrilling inner workings of castle finances so that one day he could take up the mantle of steward and eventually work as your close advisor. Mikasa and Eren were probably somewhere out there in the mud doing training drills as they prepared to take their entry assessment to join the Kingsguard’s training program. That just left you. A princess staring out a darkened window pondering if it _was_ physically possible to count all the raindrops falling onto the glass.   
  
It was late into the afternoon when you were summoned by your father. It wasn’t a surprise. You had long since known about the betrothal and the fact that you were going to meet the young man you were expected to spend the rest of your life with.   
  
Your father had done his best to try to alleviate your anxieties by letting you know you weren’t going to marry him _yet_ . Like that had made it any better. So you had dressed the part. A beautiful gown in a dark color to match your mood and the dreary weather. A small silver circlet rested atop your head, an old memento of your mother.   
  
The first thing you noticed when you arrived in the assembly chamber was just how tall he was. Almost staggeringly so. He couldn’t have been much older than you at this point but you had to wonder if he would grow even more as he aged. 

Other than that he was...remarkably unremarkable in your eyes. You felt a bit bad that was your first thought but he didn’t really stand out from a crowd beyond his stature. He looked almost as uncomfortable as you felt and he was barely able to meet your eye when you walked into the assembly room. You also had to ponder if it was sweat on his brow or rain from outside.  
  
You did your best curtsy and he bowed back. It was all how your parents had planned. Step here, smile there, make small talk, pretend that you weren’t overwhelmed with the fact that you were meeting the person you had to hope you would maybe one day fall in love with. 

Annie, for all it was worth, was present and trying her best to give you a pitying look and a small thumbs up whenever the officials weren’t looking.   
  
“Your dress is lovely,” Bertolt managed to compliment you as you both settled in on a loveseat to sit next to each other. Your father’s were both deeply immersed in conversation as they looked over what was likely the final draft of a peace accord to be put in place once the two of you are wed. The both of you were barely spared a second glance.   
  
“Thank you. I felt it was fitting for our first meeting.” You tried to hide the discomfort in your words.   
  
“I’m not happy about the betrothal either,” he sighed, easily catching on to your tone, “I would prefer we both just continue to rule our kingdoms as we see fit,” his tone of voice then switched, making it sound like he was reciting a script, “but with Eldia hoarding so much land-”   
  
“And Marley having such a large Militia? Eldia may have land but at least our resources aren’t used to intimidate our subjects or our neighbors” You bit back, not wanting to hear the rest of the would-be-king’s statement. Though in all honest you weren’t sure where the sudden anger on your kingdom’s behalf had stemmed from.   
  
“I just meant that there’s no way for us to have peace without getting married. I’m sure your father has told you that. It’s not like we get to choose what we want. Sometimes we just have to do what’s best for our people even if it requires us to make a few sacrifices.” He turned and looked away in the direction of the door where Annie was standing. 

She had been staring at the two of you and she shrunk under his gaze and shuffled away upon being caught. Bertolt laughed at her awkward retreat.  
  
“No, we don’t get to always choose what we want. We choose what is right for our kingdom and our people. But _maybe_ if humanity could learn to care for each other without malicious intent we wouldn’t have to force our youth to make up for our mistakes.” You hissed.   
  
“Our youth have to go through the same as we do. It’s just a cycle. You should know that by now. We can squabble but it’ll always end just like it did for those before us. Just like our kids will eventually have to make their own sacrifices.”   
  
“ _Our_ kids? A bit cocky already aren’t we?”   
  
“Yeah, _our_ kids. Isn’t that half the reason we’re here. We get married, Eldia and Marley pretend that we don’t hate each other, and then we have kids to make sure the nations are united.” He clapped his hands together and shrugged.   
  
“Well, at least I know why _you_ require a _contract_ in order to get someone to even think about marrying you,” you deadpanned and got up, wanting to put as much distance between the two of you as physically possible without being allowed to leave the room.   
  
You spent the rest of the evening alone in the far back of the assembly, taking up your window gazing hobby you had recently picked up it seemed. It didn’t stop your gaze from occasionally flitting over towards the kings who seemed to be in deep contemplation about the intricate details of the accord or to Bertolt who had apparently found much better company chatting with Annie. 

All well and good, you thought. Perhaps she could keep him off your scent for the rest of the visit. She turned to meet your gaze and gave you an almost apologetic smile which you returned by clasping your hands together and bowing in gratitude for keeping him busy.  
  
Beyond that you also said a quiet thanks that, if you were lucky, you wouldn’t have to see or speak to him again for at least another few years.   
  
The absolute moment you were able to, you bolted from the assembly room. Annie was still occupying Bertolt and you reminded yourself to put those pastry stealing skills to good use in order to thank her later.   
  
You ran outside into the rain with your gown still flogging you down. It wasn’t until you were able to find Eren and Mikasa that you finally stopped. They were duking it out with the same old wooden training swords they had been using for years but they stopped immediately when they saw you approach. At that point you were absolutely drenched to the bone.   
  
Mikasa was on you first and already herding you towards the stables before Eren had even put down his sword. The stables smelt awful and if your dress hadn’t already been ruined you might have even been a bit worried about it getting covered in questionable substances. 

Mikasa pushed you down onto a stool and grabbed the nearest dry looking cloth in the vicinity to begin sopping water off of your face. You were acutely aware of the fact that it smelt like horse.  
  
“Was it that bad? Does he look like a troll? Does he smell?” Eren immediately started in.   
  
“No. He’s just so...boring. He’s as tall as a tree and he talks like his father. Doesn’t smell any worse than the stables though I guess. He gave me all this shit about how he didn’t want to be married either but he was okay with having kids if it would prove that Marley and Eldia didn’t hate each other. That and something about how our kids would probably have to do the same thing one day and their kids and so forth,” you gritted out while your teeth chattered from the cold.   
  
“Already talking about your kids...and their kids?” Mikasa spoke softly and even she seemed a bit surprised at the audacity of him to broach the subject on your first meeting in such a nonchalant way.   
  
“Maybe you’ll get lucky and he’ll kick the bucket before you have to get married,” Eren joked.   
  
“Eren!” Mikasa turned to glare at him.   
  
“No, no. He’s right. But we both know I’m not that lucky,” you responded, “I’ll just have to enjoy my freedom while I have it.”   
  
Eren snorted and Mikasa stayed quiet, continuing to dab water off of you. If you could have it your way you probably would have rather stayed in the stables for the rest of your days than even _think_ about your betrothal. But you were quickly finding out that life really wasn’t fair. And this was only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise we'll get to Levi eventually! For now, we get to meet our Reader and her gang of misfits.


	2. Till Death Do Us Part

It was the middle of the night when you drifted awake again for what felt like the twentieth time. Sleep had been like a desperate dream as you found it hard to turn off your brain and silence the constant stream of thoughts.  
  
 _It’s been what, seven years since I last saw that asshole?_ _  
__  
_You gazed up at the ceiling as your thoughts continued to wander.  
  
 _Oh Bertolt, how I can’t wait to marry you! The thought just makes me swoon! Tell me, would you like to have children right after the wedding or perhaps wait a few years to make sure our kingdoms don’t erupt into civil war? It’s completely up to you, darling._ _  
__  
_A groan of disgust escaped your throat and you rolled over onto your stomach to scream into a pillow. The very idea of marrying the pompous little prick you had met so long ago made your stomach go sour.  
  
 _Of course we could just not get married! Perhaps a war would be better than playing house with a walking tree with poor political opinions and a stick up his ass. What do you think, husband dearest?_ _  
__  
_Your inner voice continued to torture you the longer you sat in the darkened room. You had to do something before you actually went stir crazy. Or perhaps you were already there.  
  
It only took you a moment to roll out of bed and shuffle over to your clothing chest and toss on the easiest to reach nightgown available. You knew you probably shouldn’t be meandering the castle halls this late but you needed someone to talk to or you weren’t sure you would be sane come morning.  
  
Slipping out of your room was the easy part, it was navigating the halls that proved challenging. You knew them well but in the dark it was still a bit of a chore to make sure you didn’t stub your toe on any of the decorative upholstery.  
  
When you reached your destination, a large wooden door a few halls down, you sighed in relief. You knocked lightly in hopes that your saviour was still awake. Not surprisingly, he was.  
  
“What are you doing up this late? Don’t you have an important meeting in the morning?” Armin answered the door looking drowsy and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  
  
“Oh don’t pretend like you were _actually_ sleeping. I see that lit candle and the book at your bedside,” you huffed as you shuffled around him and into the room.  
  
“Yes but I would have fallen asleep any moment if you hadn’t decided to make yourself into my late night caller.”  
  
“Oh don’t make it seem so...dirty.” You crinkled your nose and stuck your tongue out at him.  
  
“Very queen-like of you,” he deadpanned.  
  
“Not a queen yet,” you joked back.  
  
“So what exactly _did_ you need, again? Or were you just here to come make fun of my sleeping routine and treat me to some wonderful midnight banter?”  
  
“I can’t sleep.”  
  
“I figured as much,” He said as he sat down on the edge of his bed. Despite the playful tone in his voice he did give you a concerned look and motion for you to sit next to him.

You sat down and opened your mouth to speak but Armin caught you off guard by going first, “You’re scared about having to marry Bertolt. The big meeting where the kings sign the contract tomorrow is going to actually finalize everything and until yesterday you were able to pretend like all of it was just a silly dream. But now you have to face the fact that you won’t get to be the strong independent ruler you always dreamed of. Did I get it?”  
  
“On the nose,” you sigh, “I want to run away and never turn back, Armin. Is that cowardly of me? The kingdom depends on me to make the right decision for them. One little marriage could keep us from all out war and all I want to do is hide from my responsibilities.”  
  
Armin picked up the book from his nightstand and closed it.  
  
“I don’t think it’s cowardly of you. Remember the stories we grew up on? How the princess always fell in love with her knight in shining armor and they always got their happily ever after? Don’t we all want that? Our own happy ending? I can’t blame you for not wanting the reality of it all,” he seemed to have to put a lot of thought into his words as he looked to you and back down at his book. His fingers traced the cover that was adorned with a painting of a dragon and a wayward knight.  
  
You fell back onto the bed with a sigh.  
  
“You make it seem so romantic, Armin. I don’t even need a knight in shining armor. I would have just been happy to marry someone I love. A knight, a peasant, a noble…”  
  
“A prince from a neighboring kingdom?”  
  
You threw a pillow at his head and this time you were the one who caught him off guard. He fumbled to try to catch it and dropped his book as he did so.

“Okay okay, dumb thing for me to say.”  
  
You snorted in response and rolled over onto your side to look away from him. This prompted him to touch a gentle hand to your shoulder.

“I promise it will be alright. Maybe he has grown. The last time you two met each other you were still young. He was probably just repeating his father’s ideals. I’m sure he has had time to make his own opinions.” He tried to comfort you but even he didn’t sound too convinced by his own words.  
  
“Even if he somehow managed to become the most well mannered man in the world, I wouldn’t suddenly want to marry him, Armin,” your voice wavered and your eyes watered, “I’m being married because my father wills it. Because if I don’t, Marley might decide that our land is worth all out war. How does that seem fair?”  
  
“It isn’t. Nothing is fair. The plague didn’t stop simply because we willed it. The storm that took out crops last year didn’t change its course simply because the farmers prayed it would. Sometimes we just...have to deal with the cards we’ve been dealt. For the greater good of others.” He replied.  
  
“Have you gotten to see any of the details of the accord,” you rolled over to look at Armin once again, “or know anything about what Eldia is requesting from Marley in return?”  
  
Armin rubbed the back of his neck, “Well...we did ask that Marley provide a good quarter of their military forces in order to bolster our own borders. We also asked that they help provide tools and weaponry to our own soldiers. In return we have open trade agreements with them for our crops and produce.”  
  
“Armin, did it say where I’m going to live?” You cut straight to the chase.  
  
He looked down at his hands in his lap. When he responded his voice was barely above a whisper, “Marley…it’s only customary that a Queen stay beside her King.”  
  
You cursed the tears that finally managed to leak from the corners of your eyes.  
  
 _Of course it would be Marley. As if losing my freedom to choose who I marry wasn’t enough, they require me to uproot my entire life..._ _  
__  
_Trying to stem the flow of tears you wiped your eyes on the back of your forearm. Armin’s gaze drifted off towards the corner of the room, his own expression unreadable.  
  
“Can I stay here for the night?” You blurted out.  
  
“I...sure? But with the meeting in the morning you’ll have to be up even earlier. And if the king catches you in bed with the Steward of the castle-”  
  
“Armin please don’t pretend we don’t both already know you have absolutely no interest in me. We’ve all seen the way you watch that one knight during training drills. What’s his name? Jean?”  
  
“I do not! What are you talking about? Did Eren or Mikasa say that? They’ve been hounding me about that for weeks. I don’t even _know_ him. We talked _once_ about sword tactics. I don’t even _like_ swords!”  
  
You looked at him with a little smirk, finding it cute how animated he got when he was caught red handed.  
  
“I think we both know you like swords.”  
  
“Shut up!” It was his turn to throw a pillow at you. It hit you square in the face with a soft ‘thud’.  
  
You pulled the pillow away from your face and put it under your head.  
  
“Can we just go to sleep now? Or do I have to lecture you about the legality of attacking your princess?”  
  
Armin snorted, “For a princess you sure are annoying.”  
  
“For a steward you sure are whiny.”  
  
Armin pulled himself further up the bed to lay next to you and drape the blankets over both of your bodies.  
  
A silent agreement was made to end the conversation there as you cuddled up next to your best friend and sniffled into his nightshirt.  
  
 _In less than a year, I’ll probably never see him again unless I’m visiting the castle on royal business. Will he even consider me a friend anymore? Will Eren? Or Mikasa? Will Annie want anything to do with me once I’m long gone? Will my kingdom learn to hate me just as they do Marley…?_ _  
__  
_“Go to sleep.” Armin whispered, as if giving you permission to just let go of all your thoughts. So you did, finally drifting into a sleep better than you had in the past few weeks.

You woke up the next morning to Armin prodding you urgently in the side. You batted him away and pulled the covers up over your head, trying to keep in the warmth and drift back to sleep. Yet he continued his evil onslaught, dead set on waking you up.  
  
“You have less than an hour to get ready. You better hurry up or you’re going to look like a royal mess in front of the King and his advisors. _And_ your husband to be.”  
  
You let out a pitiful groan and flung the covers away in a small tantrum.  
  
“Why did you have to remind me? Why couldn’t you have just left me here to die?” You whined pitifully as you got up and headed towards the door.  
  
“All is fair in love and war...or so they say.” Armin looked up at you from where he leaned over his desk, probably filling out some merchant logs and inventories for the day. “Now hurry up, before the king comes after me for making you late.”  
  
Like a wounded puppy you slipped out of Armin’s room and made your way back to yours. The dress that had been chosen for you this time was much more extravagant than the one from when you had first met Bertolt. Vibrant and colored in shades of yellow and orange, it practically personified the season of harvest in Eldia. Normally you would have loved it but the beautiful gown was tarnished with the worry of what was to come.  
  
Your handmaidens joined you in your room to help you clean up despite your protests that you could easily do so yourself. It seemed your father had made some special requests for your appearance that day, not wanting a repeat of the event years ago. Once they deemed you presentable they hurried you out of the room.  
  
Admittedly, walking into the assembly hall this time you felt much braver than you had before. The years had matured you, made you aware of what your duties were to your kingdom, even if you resented them. If you had to swallow the bitter taste in the back of your throat so be it. Your eyes scanned the room openly until they fell upon Bertolt just as they had once before.  
  
He met your gaze and offered a warm smile, approaching you before you could approach him. He took your hand and bowed, kissing your knuckles.  
  
“You are even more beautiful than the day I first met you, princess.” He greeted you. His tone was...kind. A bit of a surprise from the boy you had once met. Perhaps the situation was salvageable after all.  
  
“Bertolt, you’ve grown even more,” you teased. Admittedly, he had. A few more inches graced his frame and his once round face had become sharpened with age.  
  
He chuckled, “Yes, so I’ve been told by your father. Come, let us sit and talk.”  
  
You both moved towards a small table with two seats and sat in the warmth of the autumn sun that shone through one of the large castle windows.  
  
“I’m sure our fathers will regale us with the boring details of our betrothal in no time. For now...how have you been? Has time treated you kindly?” He asked, the first to break the silence.

Something about his comforting tone made you sigh.  
  
“I’ve been well. If I may speak freely, the betrothal has hung over my head like a small rain cloud. There is so much changing so soon…” you looked out the window, “but I’m sure that our kingdoms will come to thank us for the change when the sun comes out.”  
  
“I’m sure they will. Tell me, how is Annie?”  
  
It threw off the tone of the conversation noticeably. Bertolt tried to backpedal but you understood. He had gotten along quite well with Annie when he had first visited and you were sure she probably made a better impression on him than you had.  
  
“She’s well. The spotlight isn’t on her so she has been free to act of her own accord. We tease her about being sweet on one of the newly appointed soldiers in the Kingsguard. A young man named Reiner, I believe. He says his mother was actually from Marley. Perhaps you will meet him one of these days during your stay.”  
  
“Ah. Interesting. Well, I’m happy for her. Even if we don’t get to choose _our_ particular fate it is good to see those close to us have that chance.”  
  
You nodded in quiet contemplation. He poured you a cup of tea and you both chatted for some time, genuinely seeming to enjoy each other’s company. Your mood had lightened considerably by the time your fathers approached with the final draft of the peace accord and marriage agreement.  
  
It was as to be expected. Eldia offered free trade with Marley and land for them to plant and sow their own crops while Marley offered Eldia reinforcements on their borders and raw materials from their mountains to create tools and weapons. With the marriage in place, Marley would no longer encroach on Eldia borders but instead the two kingdoms would slowly integrate in certain areas until they were able to come together as one nation. It would take time but they would see results eventually.  
  
You and Bertolt agreed. There was no signing necessary as that would have just been a formality. As you stood you noticed something out of the corner of your eye. One of the drapes in front of the castle windows had rustled. You stood still but couldn’t feel a draft or see any windows open. You smiled and for a moment let yourself wonder if it was a child who had managed to get themself caught up in a game of hide and seek, just as you once had. Or perhaps it was just your mind playing tricks on you.  
  
“Your highness.”  
  
Someone speaking to you pulled you out of your stupor and you turned to see Reiner had entered the assembly room.  
  
“Historia has requested your presence in the gardens now that the meeting is over. Something about wanting your opinion on the carnations?” He sounded a bit awkward talking about flowers, but he was oddly charming.

You turned to Bertolt and he simply bowed, “I wouldn’t dream of keeping my future bride from the simple pleasures of tending to the gardens.”  
  
A small giggle bubbled up at the absurdity of that statement but nonetheless, you gave a curtsy in return before following Reiner out of the room.  
  
“So, carnations, hm? She finally decided what flower she wanted for the flower beds along the hedges?” You asked.  
  
“Being completely honest I have no idea. They are quite nice to look at, though perhaps not as pleasing to the eyes as the woman who planted them,” Reiner remarked.  
  
“My good soldier, don’t tell me you’ve gone soft for our groundskeeper?”  
  
“She’s quite beautiful if I’m honest with myself. Though I doubt she would have eyes for a member of the Kingsguard. She seems quite fond of one of the couriers. Ymir, I believe?”  
  
Your shoulders shook with laughter but there was a bittersweet mood still lingering over you. Since when had so many people begun to grow up and fall in love? A fleeting wave of longing rolled over you, wondering what it must feel like.  
  
Reiner guided you down a different path than you normally took to the gardens. It was a bit more scenic and long winded, but you didn’t mind. The fresh air was exactly what you needed right now to clear your head and Reiner made for good company with his quiet demeanor.  
  
You looked over to him and saw him gazing off towards the castle walls. He lifted his hand and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, seeming to fall behind a bit. You wondered if he was still getting used to the layout of the castle.  
  
“So Reiner, Eren told me your mother was from Ma-”  
  
Something cold and sharp flew past your face, grazing your cheek and making you see stars. You stumbled backwards and your heel caught on the cobblestone beneath you, sending you to your knees as you tripped. All you heard was a whistle and Reiner yelling something you couldn’t make out. When you touched your cheek it felt warm and wet. Pulling your hand away to look at it, you noticed there was blood rolling down your fingers. Odd.  
  
“...need to move! Princess! You need to get inside! Stand up!” Reiner shouted, his words finally coming into focus as he lifted you and gently pushed you towards the nearest entryway into the castle.  
  
“Inside?” You asked, dumbfounded. But your legs were already operating on their own accord. You looked back at Reiner who had pulled his sword from its sheath and wondered who he intended to fight. There wasn’t much time to process what he was targeting before you turned a corner and began running towards the only place you knew where to go.

Unlike last night you slammed heavily on Armin’s door. He opened it with a disgruntled look that quickly changed to horror as you stumbled in.  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
“Why are you bleeding?”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
“Who did this to you?”  
  
“I don’t know!”  
  
He hurriedly dug through one of the drawers in his desk and pulled out a clean cloth then rushed back to you to press it over the wound on your cheek.  
  
“Is it bad?” You managed to stutter out.  
  
“No. It could have been worse but it looks like it barely grazed you...what was it?”  
  
“An arrow...I think. I was with Reiner. I was about to ask him about his mother and all of a sudden it felt like someone had just ran a blade over my cheek. He pushed me away and I came here. I didn’t know where else to go.”  
  
Armin opened his mouth to chide you but was interrupted by the bedroom door flying open. Eren and Mikasa came bounding in, looking alarmed.  
  
“Someone just attempted to assassinate Bertolt! He was with Annie near the stables and…”

Eren trailed off as he noticed the cloth on your face slowly becoming saturated with blood.  
  
“What’s going on? How were you hurt?” Mikasa spoke up instead.  
  
“Someone shot me. An arrow. We were in the gardens heading towards Historia’s new flower beds near the western wall.” You whispered.  
  
Mikasa pulled Armin’s hand away from your face to look at your wound.  
  
“They were aiming to kill,” she said in a grave tone before turning towards Eren, “we need to alert the king.”  
  
Eren nodded and the two of them left the room in a blur, making sure to close the door behind them. Armin got up and locked it before rejoining you on the edge of the bed.

The rest of the day went by in a haze. Multiple people came to visit you and question you about the events that transpired. Did you see anyone? Did you know anyone who would want to hurt you? Did Reiner attack you? Had anyone stopped you on your way to Armin’s room? Had you or Bertolt noticed anything suspicious?  
  
You felt so helpless. Nothing came to mind that was helpful in the least. In all actuality you had thought today was going better than you had expected. It had even been about to end on a high note with a stroll outside and visiting the much anticipated flowers Historia had planted.  
  
Even worse, Bertolt and the king of Marley left immediately after the attempt. You couldn’t blame them. They probably felt much safer in their home kingdom where they trusted the guards within their own walls. That just meant you probably wouldn’t see your husband to be until you were set to be wed.  
  
 _So much for getting to know him better._ _  
__  
_The King didn’t even put up a fight when you insisted openly upon staying with Armin that night, likely just happy that you weren’t dead. Yet even sleeping next to Armin you couldn’t keep away the nightmares. All you could imagine was if you had been just a little further forward. Or if the marksman had aimed just a little further back. Needless to say, you didn’t get much sleep that night.

The king called for you the next morning before the sun was even above the horizon. You opted to let Armin rest, grateful for his help keeping you safe the other day and treating your wound.  
  
You slipped out of the room quietly and followed your father towards your quarters.  
  
“The betrothal has been put on temporary hold. The King of Marley has a rightful reason to be wary of an attack on his son on foreign ground.” You father began.  
  
“But what about the attack on-”  
  
He held a hand up to silence you as he continued, “The only reason he has not launched an all out invasion on our kingdom in retaliation is due to the fact that you were also attacked. Bertolt was completely unharmed but you were the one who was wounded. Luckily, the damage was minor and you are still with us.”  
  
You remained quiet as he looked over you. He did nothing to hide the fear in his eyes at the thought of losing you.  
  
“You are my first daughter and to know I came so close to never being able to see you again kept me up all night in absolute terror. I could do nothing to keep you safe and it was my own lack of foresight that almost got you killed.”  
  
“Father it hardly-”  
  
“That is why I have made the decision to assign you your own personal bodyguard until we have found the assailants and brought them to justice.”  
  
“Mikasa? Knight Commander Erwin?”  
  
“No. This attack could have easily been one of our own. They knew where you would be, they knew the castle grounds. It has to be someone on the outside. Someone that can’t hide their motivation simply by claiming royalty to the crown. They came highly recommended by Knight Commander Erwin but have no ties to any royals within the kingdom nor do they seem to be particularly loyal to even the Knight Commander.”  
  
“So a stranger of all things?”  
  
“Exactly. Someone who harbors no ill will to you personally and no vendetta against our family.”  
  
“Who is he?”  
  
“His name is Levi Ackerman. He will supervise you around the clock until I have deemed it safe to do otherwise.”  
  
“Around the clock?! Am I to have no alone time?”  
  
“No! Not until I can ensure your safety!”  
  
“And when do I get to _meet_ this Levi Ackerman?”  
  
You came to a stop just outside of your chambers and glared at your father. In the back of your mind you knew he was right. They had attacked you on your home territory. It could have been absolutely anyone and the thought was enough to make your blood run cold. But to have to be supervised by someone you had never met before? That seemed over the top even for your father.  
  
“He’s waiting for you in your chambers,” your father tilted his head towards the door behind you, “I would get acquainted sooner rather than later. He will need to be shown around the castle. Please try not to scare him away.”  
  
You gave a resigned sigh.  
  
“Yes father…”  
  
He took your head between his hands, careful to avoid the large bandage covering the greater majority of your left cheek.  
  
“I love you. Please don’t ever forget that. You’re not a little girl anymore. I trust you to make the right decisions for your kingdom when the time comes.” He praised you in his own way before turning to head back down the hallway from where you two came.  
  
You took a deep breath and opened the door, ready to face your new bodyguard in all your bandaged, messy haired glory.  
  
His first impression left something to be desired.  
  
“They told me someone tried to kill you, but you really _do_ look like shit, don’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here our reader gets her first taste of Levi (metaphorically of course)
> 
> Next chapter will likely come some time right before Thanksgiving :)


	3. Nice to Meet You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter was a bit later than I wanted but I managed to finish up before the end of the night! Happy Thanksgiving to anyone in the U.S. who might be reading!

You didn’t quite know how to respond to his insult. It wasn’t often that someone had the bravery to openly speak to you like that other than Eren. In fact, even Mikasa and Armin had never really been that blunt with you before besides mild teasing.  
  
“Excuse me?” You finally managed to choke out, annoyed with the way your voice cracked.  
  
The man in front of you was...something else. He was shorter than you’d expect for a bodyguard and didn’t really meet your expectations at all. You had been thinking you would open the door to find someone like Knight Commander Erwin. Older, stoic, someone who would do the normal bows and whispers of ‘your majesty’.  
  
Yet the knot in your stomach told you that you weren’t sure if that would have been better or worse. In the end the best word you could come up with for Levi was _alluring_ . At least from a glance. He was wearing casual clothes which also threw you off. His pants were well fit to his legs and his shirt was of a looser linen make. Where the strings on his top would normally be tightened they instead fell dangerously loose, leaving his collarbones and chest exposed. Judging by the hard muscle visible it became pretty clear why he might be a bodyguard.  
  
You gulped.  
  
“I said you look like shit.” He repeated, paraphrasing. As he did so you became even more aware of just how relaxed he was acting. He was sprawled languidly over one of your chairs like a cat basking in the sun.  
  
“I got that part. I think I was more confused as to what world you must live in where you can see someone wounded and be so...impertinent.” You brought a hand up to touch the bandage on your cheek.

“Tch, you’ll live. _Did_ live. You don’t need _me_ to coddle you.” He stretched and slipped out of the chair so that he could walk up to you, “I’m sure the king introduced me. Unless you’re used to finding strange men in your bedchamber.”  
  
Your cheeks heated up.  
  
“I most certainly do _not_ entertain strange men in my bedchamber, thank you!”  
  
“I said _find_ not entertain.” He observed you for a moment, his gaze slowly gliding from your head down to your feet as he sized you up openly. “My name is Levi. I’ll be working with you until they find your assassin.”  
  
“Yeah, I figured as much. When did you get here? How long have you been in my room?”  
  
He turned his head to the side, “Maybe an hour ago? I tidied up a bit and then settled in.”

“Tidied up?”  
  
He motioned towards your vanity. Sure enough it had been organized and it even looked like he had...dusted? Now that you looked around it did seem the room was cleaner and you knew the attendants weren’t due to come by this early. The sun had still barely come up and your bed was already made. You also noticed a new jug of water on your side table Even the decorative dagger you kept on your nightstand even seemed to have a bit more shine to it.  
  
“You did all this in an hour?” You were admittedly surprised.  
  
“If I’m staying here it might as well be _clean_ .”  
  
“Wait, no, you’re not staying in my room! Surely father had a room next to me cleared out for you?”  
  
“No.” His reply was curt and it was almost impossible to tell how he felt about the situation.  
  
“Then where are you sleeping?” There was that crack in your voice again. Attractive as he might be, this was not the most ideal scenario.  
  
“The chair I suppose. Does that bother you?”

“Well, yes!”  
  
“Are you scared of me?”  
  
“N-no! I just...I don’t _know_ you. Plus it seems unfair that you would have to sleep in a _chair_ , doesn’t it? You’re acting as my guardian so you deserve a bedroom to yourself at the very least.”  
  
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly that it was almost imperceivable, “I see…” 

Silence.  
  
You pinched the bridge of your nose when it became apparent he had nothing else to say, “so it looks like you had the chance to settle in but I don’t really see any of your things. Did you need me to clear space for you anywhere? Then we can just go get breakfast...I’m hungry and wouldn’t mind a walk.”  
  
“My things are put away. I only brought some clothes and a few weapons, nothing personal.”  
  
“Alright then come on,” you insisted as you opened the bedroom door again and motioned for him to follow you, not questioning where he put away his supposed things. He followed without complaint at least. Luckily the walk to the kitchen was relatively quick but the silence was almost staggering.  
  
“So, Levi...what do you want to eat? Our head cook is a jack of all trades but he makes wonderful pastries,” you gushed a bit. 

Connie Springer had been working for the crown since he was probably the same age as Eren and Mikasa had been when they came to live in the castle. He had started from the bottom as a scullery boy but the original chef had a soft spot for him and he was quick to work his way up the ladder. 

He _was_ a bit eccentric though, always trying new food combinations much to your father’s dismay. His rosemary, turmeric, and coconut souffle had been the last in his string of poor choices and the memory of the flavor made you shiver.  
  
“Whatever is fresh. That and a tea,” he replied, looking disinterested.  
  
“Ah, okay. Why don’t you go sit?”

You pointed towards a small table in the dining area that seated two. It was right next to a large window that looked out on the gardens and had plenty of natural lighting.  
  
Levi was about to say something but you cut him off with an innocent smile.

“I know you’re supposed to be with me at all times but I will be five feet away. I’ll be right there.”  
  
He scoffed and walked over to the table. He spun the chair out and sat down but made a point not to let you out of his sight while he went through the motions. It was overwhelming how intense his gaze really was and you breathed a sigh of relief when you were able to slip behind the entryway to the kitchens.  
  
“Eh? What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Ah! Don’t tell me someone tried to hurt you again!” someone hollered.  
  
“Sasha, don’t say shit like that so loud! You’re going to give someone a heart attack!” Connie hollered back and gently tapped Sasha in the back of the head with a wooden spoon. 

“He might as well be a ghost,” you replied. “I’ve never seen him around the kingdom before and he’s a bit...he’s going to be a lot to handle I think.”  
  
“It’s not like you’ve seen a lot of the kingdom,” Sasha scoffed.  
  
“Sasha!” another tap of the spoon, a bit harder this time.  
  
“Ow! I’m just saying…” Sasha whined and rubbed the back of her head, “you don’t get out much. If he wasn’t a member of the Kingsguard you probably wouldn’t even recognize him. You _are_ a bit of a shut-in. Both you _and_ Annie.”  
  
“You can thank our father for that. I think Annie likes it, though. Or I’ve never heard her complain,” you pondered why that was while slipping an apple into your pocket.  
  
“I saw that!” Connie chided you, “You’re the princess! You don’t need to steal apples. What do you want for breakfast? I made some quiche! I tried a new recipe. Dried anchovies and honey. They don’t taste half bad, right Sasha?”  
  
He looked at Sasha and she nodded happily The second he turned back to you she immediately shook her head and made a gagging face.  
  
“I’ll have to have you make them for me another morning, Connie. Any chance you have a couple of fresh egg tarts and could brew some tea? My new bodyguard is a bit more tame than I am with food experiments,” you blamed Levi without shame.  
  
“We have some fresh brewed honey lemon tea if it suits him. Who is this guy anyways? You know we get all the good gossip down here and I haven’t heard about any new staff or guards,” Connie spoke while wrapping several egg tarts in a cloth and simultaneously managing to mix some sort of stew in the cooking pot by the fire.  
  
“I honestly don’t know. My father says he isn’t an official guard but that he owed Erwin a couple favors. They were able to get him here in less than a day so he must live pretty close to the castle.”  
  
“Wait, Erwin vouched for him? He can’t be _that_ bad then.” Sasha chipped in.  
  
“Don’t forget that Erwin didn’t always have a clean nose. He got into plenty of trouble when he was younger. Used to be the talk of all the women around the kitchen when I first started.” Connie put the egg tarts in a basket and slipped the handle over your wrist.   
  
“Oh a fine young man like _Erwin_ ? He couldn’t _possibly_ be involved with the _Wings of Freedom_ .” Connie mimicked like a swooning older woman.  
  
“Erwin was involved with them?” You probed.  
  
“You know how organizations are in The Underground. Very hush hush. Steal from the rich, give to the poor. They never targeted the castle that we know of but they shook down quite a few nobles for spare change. Sometimes they would steal food, too! Nobody really knows any of their members. They’re all anonymous but people have guessed that Erwin used to work with them after his father died.” Sasha jumped in again, seeming happy to just be able to add to the conversation.  
  
“Sounds like noblemen’s version of the boogeyman. They probably deserved it. Father doesn’t exactly bite down on the dealings of some of the rich. Crooked bastards, most of them,” you replied.  
  
“Maybe when you’re queen, you can do the biting,” a voice came from the entryway of the kitchen, making all three of you stiffen and look over.  
  
There was Levi, leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Again his eyes were locked strictly on you.  
  
“I told you I would be there in a minute…” you huffed.  
  
“Sorry, princess. It’s my job,” his eyes flickered to the now steaming pot of tea. “and I’m getting hungry while you gossip about things you don’t know about.”  
  
Connie pressed two cups of tea into your free hands and then began rushing both you and Sasha out. “Alright you two, I have work to do. Go eat breakfast. And Sasha! You’re supposed to be tending the stables. Better hurry up before Armin gets on your ass again.”  
  
Sasha scuffled out past Levi, face pale and refusing to even look at the man. Before you could get to the doorway he reached out and grabbed one of the teacups from you, his fingers gripping around the rim and ghosting across your own. It made you jump but he either didn’t notice or didn’t comment.  
  
Once at the table, you pulled the cloth out and pulled out the egg tarts. Connie had even been nice enough to add a little sprinkling of sugar to the top of a couple of them. Levi pulled one close but seemed more intent on tasting his tea. As he took a sip you were sure he was going to spit it out just by the way his face contorted ever so slightly.  
  
“Is it really that ba-” you began.  
  
“Where do you get your tea imported from?”  
  
“Ah, um...Armin might be better to ask...I’m not actually sure.”  
  
“Royals,” he scoffed, “you have all these luxuries at your fingertips and don’t even know where they come from or who made them. It tastes good so at least that’s a something.”  
  
“Oh! Good! That’s good…” you rubbed your neck awkwardly, “happy you like it.”

“Why were you talking about the Wings of Freedom?” He changed the subject quickly and bit into his food, allowing you plenty of time to reply.  
  
“Well, Connie brought it up. Said Erwin used to be in good standing with them, but I only listen to maybe…” you hummed, “twenty percent of what comes out of his mouth?”  
  
“What do you know about them?”  
  
“Why does it matter?” you blinked in confusion at his question.  
  
“Curious why people would think Erwin associates with them.”  
  
“I guess before he became a guard he used to work for the Merchant Guilds. His father was pretty smart so it’s only natural Erwin was, too. Don’t know many merchants who aren’t either scared of them or actively campaigning against them. So when your merchant father passes and you have nowhere else to go? You make whatever decision seems right at the time.” You relayed all you knew before biting into your own food.  
  
“Doubt that Erwin would be involved. He isn’t the type. It’s like he was built to be a Knight Commander,” Levi said before he took another half-hearted sip of his tea and looked out the window.  
  
“Yeah, like you said, just gossip.”  
  
The rest of the time you spent talking was mostly relegated to the staff members Levi would want to get accustomed to seeing. Connie the cook, Sasha who oversaw the stables, Historia in the gardens, and of course Armin the steward.

“Any of the guards I should be worried about? Your father said they believed it to be an inside job. If any of them are shitty, I want to know,” he cut in while you had been talking about how you couldn’t remember the name of one of the new attendants who had been hired recently.

“No, none of them are ‘shitty’. You’ll meet Eren and Mikasa eventually. They’re my close friends and some of our top guards. Then there’s Knight Commander Erwin who you already know. The only other ones I’ve spoken to were Jean and...Reiner. Jean doesn’t come around much unless Armin is there because him and Eren are always at each other’s throat. Reiner I’ve only met maybe once or twice. He was the guard with me during the assassination attempt.”

You wracked your brain trying to think of anyone who could possibly not ‘like’ you for anything beyond you simply being the Eldian princess betrothed to the prince of Marley. No one came to mind.

“What did he do after you were hurt? Reiner?”

“Well...I fell. He pulled me up and I guess I remember him drawing his sword which seemed funny considering I got hit by an arrow. But he sent me down one of the inner corridors and ran off into the garden. I haven’t seen him since but according to my father’s reports he didn’t see anyone suspicious or find anything strange.”  
  
“And the arrow?” he looked over at you and tilted his head onto his shoulder, regarding you carefully.

“What about it?” you asked, finding it hard to meet his eyes. 

You lost your train of thought pretty quickly. Everything about him was so foreign and you couldn’t explain why. Maybe it was the fact that he spoke so freely with you? Something about being in his presence made you feel less like royalty and more like just an ordinary person. You weren’t sure if you liked that. His response pulled you out of your thoughts before you could delve too deep though.

“Was it Eldian make?”

“Yeah. That’s why we think it might have been an inside job. Someone who had access to our weapons or supplies.” You leaned forward and rested your head on your hand.

“That or someone trying to cover their tracks.” Levi retorted.

“Well of course we thought of that too. Maybe Marley doesn’t particularly want an _Eldian_ queen. Or maybe Eldia doesn’t want to be tied to Marley. We barely have anything to go off of…”

Levi set his finished cup of tea down and stood up with a shrug.

“Some asshole will get hung eventually for their crime. Show me the castle,” he requested. If it wasn’t for his tone of voice you might have thought it was a command. Even if it was, you wonder, would you have followed it? The thought makes you shiver.

“Alright.”

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

“Here is our main watchtower,” you finally huffed out.

The two of you had walked through a good portion of the castle halls. You had shown him the residency areas, the stables, bathhouse, assembly hall, and even the ramparts. All that had been left was the tower and the gardens. Unfortunately for you, the tower was several flights of stairs and even though Levi hadn’t even broken a sweat, you were practically wheezing.  
  
Levi rested his arms on one of the open windows of the tower and leaned out to look over the city. He was kind enough not to comment on your lack of breath.  
  
You knew the city below you was alive with hustle and bustle. From here you could see the homes of hundreds of people. If you focused you could even see the smoke coming from some of their chimneys. Near the middle of the city was the marketplace, somewhere you longed to one day go. The cobblestones were littered with carts selling food, jewelry, baked goods, you name it. Anything you needed or wanted could probably be found there.

Looking even further out was the natural beauty of Eldia. You wouldn’t be able to discern much, but the rolling hills of green and the occasional smattering of farmland that slowly turned into forests and mountains was also appealing to your lust for adventure.

“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I love coming here when the guards aren’t up here. There’s even a loft above that I’ve hidden in when I wanted to get away from it all.”

“A princess in a tower, how original,” he joked, but his voice lacked the warmth that jokes usually carried.

“Yes well, luckily I don’t know of any dragons. Nor any prince charming looking to whisk me away to some unknown land”

“You don’t need a dragon to guard you, that’s why I’m here. Good luck with prince charming though,” he replied.

You went over to the window with him and rested against it as well, bumping your elbow into his. He pulled his arm away casually, likely trying not to offend you. It still stung a bit.

“Like the view?” you asked him, your voice sounding a bit strained.

“No,” his response caught you off guard.

“Not a fan of the city?” you followed up with another question, wondering what about the view could be so off-putting.

“Don’t like the idea of royals in their diamond studded castles, looking down on people while they get to suck on silver spoons and think highly of themselves in comparison,” he replied and then looked to you as if to gauge your reaction.

You were quiet for some time as you looked down at the city. You wondered how many people looked to you and to the king for their prosperity. How everything hung in the balance based on your future decisions. Would you follow in the steps of your father and leave them to their own devices? Only stepping in when things became too ornery? An absent ruler? Or would you want to live among them one day? Would you want to know their home as you know your own?

“I’m not better than any of them just because I was born in these walls and get to wear frilly dresses.”

“Tch,” he cut you off with a scoff, much like earlier.

“You don’t have to believe me,” you laughed, “I wouldn’t if I were you, but you have a point. A noble that sits in a tower and looks down on their people will never know how to guide them. Never be able to know their struggles. Will never be able to make the right decisions to keep them safe or hear their voices when they call for change. I love my father but he is not the ruler I would want. I was just lucky enough to be born his daughter.”

He was quiet so you continued.

“But...I want to. I want to be the change they need. I want to harbor the change they call for. I want to stand on the cobblestone streets at their side. I can never be their ruler until I learn what kind of ruler they truly want, but I would give anything to show them that.”

It was your turn to level Levi with an intense gaze. You wanted him to...no, _needed_ him to know your words were true. You weren’t sure why you were putting so much into convincing a hired sword that you were different than your father but the smallest of changes started with one person you reasoned.

“There would need to be a lot of change for that,” he replied, holding your gaze for a few moments before looking back out at the city.

“What would you change if you could?” you pressed.

“I’m not optimistic enough to think I could bring about the change this world needs. In a perfect world, everyone would prosper. No disease, no homeless, no pain or fighting. But this is not a perfect world and I can’t pretend to know what humanity needs.”

“They need someone to fight for them,” you answered resolutely.

“Then I look forward to seeing the day you become their warrior,” he said quietly.

His words made you crash down to reality, unfortunately.

“I can never be the person they need. Not here at least. I will be nothing more than a figurehead in Marley, an ornament on my betrothed’s arm. If I’m _lucky_ I might get some say in how Marley is run but those people won’t come to love me. They don’t know me.”

“And do the citizens of Eldia _know_ you?” he pondered aloud.

“No…” your stalwart demeanor quickly dissipated.

“Then let me introduce you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have a beta reader unfortunately so if you see any spelling/grammar errors please feel free to holler! Kudos and comments are appreciated! 
> 
> This fic is also looking to possible be longer than anticipated. Most of the chapters I had planned out seem to be better cut into two, so fic length is a bit up in the air. More than 12 chapters at least.
> 
> (ᵔᴥᵔ)


	4. A Breath of Fresh Air

You struggled to tie the cloak off around your neck, the angle of it feeling foreign when you were so used to others being around to help you with such frivolities. Just when you thought you had it you let go and it immediately came undone and fell to the floor with a soft thud.   
  
“Who  _ invented  _ this? Why not simply have a clasp of some sort? Even a button would be better,” you lashed out at the cloak on the ground and picked it up more aggressively than was perhaps necessary.

“You’ve never worn a cloak before?” Levi deadpanned from his spot across the room, sitting on his chair and having been ready now for some time.

“Of course not! I never go outside the walls. What reason would I have for wearing anything besides the dresses provided to me? Why do I have to disguise myself anyways?”

“Said like someone who wasn’t almost killed just yesterday,” he retorted, leveling you with another look as he got up. 

“Ah...yeah...well why have me put a simple cloak on over a royal dress? Would someone not just notice anyways?” you asked, motioning towards the gown you still had on the entire time you had been struggling with the cloak he had given you.

Levi was quiet as he dug through the bottom drawer of your old dresser where he had apparently stashed away his own clothes. Once he found what he wanted he stepped back over to you and shoved it into your arms. The cloak fell again. You could feel your eyelid twitch.

“I never said I was going to have you wear just the cloak. It was the first thing I gave you and you decided to try to put it on. Did you get ahead of yourself,  _ princess _ ?”

“So you just watched me fight with that awful thing for twenty minutes so you could be  _ smug _ ?”   
  
“Yes,” he proclaimed as he went to sit back down.

You rifled through the clothes he had given you. They were plain and if anyone saw you in them they would definitely be taken aback if they did manage to recognize you. It consisted of a white blouse similar to Levi’s and a pair of black trousers that you eyed wearily, knowing they would likely be a bit tight.

“We don’t have all day, brat.”

“Brat?! Were you raised with any manners? Get out at least so I can change!”    
  
He quirked an eyebrow at you as if the idea of leaving the room was strange but appeased your demand and began towards the door.   
  
“I’ll be right outside if you need anything,” he said before stepping out and closing the door softly behind him.

The clothes on the bed managed to put up a fight. You had to jump to get the pants up over your hips and the blouse hung in a way that left little to the imagination about your figure no matter how you tucked it in or tied the strings in the front. When you turned to look at yourself in the mirror though, you were surprised.

You looked nice. It was startling how much the bells and whistles of your wardrobe masked how you truly looked. There was no tailored waistline or hidden legs. You never realized how little skin you normally showed either. You let your fingers trail across your exposed neckline and collarbones and wondered what Mikasa, Eren, and Armin would think of the way you looked.   
  
Your eyes wandered up to your hair which was adorned in what now seemed like some ridiculous updo in comparison to your outfit. Without hesitation you began pulling all of the various clips and pieces out until your hair fell into its natural pattern. 

Once everything was done that you could think of, you opened the door for Levi to walk back in. He did so casually but was quick to notice that the cloak was still on the ground. He whisked it up with one hand and turned to you.

He halted whatever he had intended to do and took a moment to simply look at you. In reality, he didn’t actually have a huge reaction. There were no wide eyes or big smile but he did clear his throat as if to hide the fact he had lost his train of thought.

“Tch, still can’t even put on a simple cloak. Come here.”

His reaction confused you and made your cheeks heat up. How often had he managed to make you blush in the span of only a day? You stepped up to him with your head down and turned away, trying not to meet his eyes.   
  
Levi flung the cloak over your shoulders and brought two fingers up under your chin to tilt it back. You both looked at each other for a second before he dropped his hand to begin tying the cloak for you himself. You took the moment to study him as you doubted you would get a chance to see him this close up again any time soon.

His jawline was sharp and seemed to be tensed in concentration as he worked. It was also as though his eyes were always half lidded in boredom? Indifference? Yet despite that they still seemed intense, as though everything he looked at had his undivided attention. All of his features were quite hardened as well. It was as if he never relaxed. You wondered half heartedly if Levi intended to come across this guarded in order to fight off the exact curiosity you and probably many others had.   
  
He backed away and you did the same. You brought a hand up to test the knot he had made on the cloak strings. When you were satisfied that it would stay you finally allowed yourself to cave in to the excitement and nervousness that had been simmering in your stomach.   
  
“Can we leave now? Where are we exiting the walls? Are you sure someone won’t recognize me?”   
  
Levi rolled his eyes and grabbed your hood, shoving it down over your face roughly and causing you to yelp and stumble.   
  
“Hey!”

“Calm down you little shit. If you run your mouth the entire time we try to leave of course someone will recognize you. Just be quiet and follow me.”

He opened the door and guided you out while you readjusted your hood.   
  
The walk through the corridors was a tense one. Every step the two of you took sounded like cannon fire and every breath you took seemed unnecessarily loud. You felt the eyes of all the servants on you as you passed, making your heart rate spike in fear that someone would accost you.

“ _ Breathe _ ,” you heard Levi whisper into your ear but you didn’t turn to look at him. You took a shuddering breath and tried to calm yourself. 

You had lost sense of direction up until you began to reach one of the exits. Alarm bells rang in your ears. He intended to take you right out the  _ front gates _ ? Your steps faltered and his hand darted out from under his own cloak to grab your wrist and keep you moving forward.   
  
“They have every exit in the castle either blocked off or guarded. They don’t expect you to slip out much less through the front door. Don’t be stupid,” he seemed to try to soothe your worries but between the ever-so-kind insult and his hand feeling like a hot brand on your wrist you couldn’t find it in yourself to act like everything was okay.

You looked up from under your hood to see multiple members of the Kingsguard at the front gates. They were open already with a handful of merchant carts coming in and out. You thought you could hear Armin yelling from somewhere off to your left as he did inventory of the deliveries. It was easy for the two of you to slip into the crowd the closer you got to the gate’s threshold.   
  
The two of you had almost been home free when you heard the booming voice of none other than Commander Erwin himself. He was also announced by the tell tale clink of the Kingsguard armor as he approached.

“Levi? Heading out so soon? I didn’t think guarding a princess would be  _ that  _ difficult for you,” he joked.

“Of course not, dumbass. What makes you think I’m not guarding the princess?” Levi responded under his breath.

You tensed up. Why would he have given the two of you away so easily?   
  
Erwin stepped up in front of you now and you looked up, trying to pretend you weren’t shaking like a leaf as he lifted your hood ever so slightly.   
  
“I see. Please try to have her home before nightfall,” he winked at you but it was hard to miss the exasperated tone in his voice, “I don’t want to have to explain to the guards stationed outside her chambers why they were guarding an empty room all night.”

“Eh? Don’t trust me to guard her without your little friends?” Levi bit back.   
  
“Even you need sleep, Levi,” Erwin said before walking away, not giving you or Levi a chance to reply.   
  
“Asshole,” Levi grumbled under his breath but continued walking. He had still yet to let go of your wrist but you didn’t mind. He was helping keep you grounded and there was something comforting about having the human equivalent of a porcupine standing up for you. The thought made you let out a small laugh.   
  
Levi looked over to you but didn’t say anything.

The outside world was simultaneously nothing like you expected but familiar in a sense. Everything seemed so much bigger from this point of view. What you had called hills felt like mountains and what you had called mountains were unreal. The sprawling paths went on for miles rather than seeming like a few inches gleaned from high up in the castle towers. The first river you passed absolutely roared with how fast the water rushed.

“How much of life have I been missing?”

“Too much,” Levi responded.

Yet even with all the natural wonders suddenly at your fingertips nothing could have prepared you for the actual hustle and bustle of the marketplace. The closest thing you could compare it to was the assembly meetings where the nobles all fought to be heard over one another. But this? Was so much more.   
  
The marketplace felt cramped down on the ground, not at all what you had expected from looking down on it from the castle. The stalls spanned out on either side of the street wherever there was room. Actual shops served as their backdrop with windows lined with items to sell. Signs offering services could be seen no matter which way you turned. Tarot cards readings, dress tailoring, hair parlors, custom made teas and tonics. Anything you could think of was there just waiting for you to grab it.   
  
Levi pulled your hood off and you realized just how stifling it had felt. You turned to him and he cocked his head to motion you to move forward now as you pleased, finally removing his grip from your wrist. You felt anxious for a moment as he did so but steeled yourself quickly. These were your people and you had to learn to trust them. To know them.   
  
The first stall you approached was dedicated to handmade jewelry. The woman behind the counter was adorned in many of what were likely her own pieces. She gave you a crooked smile and reached out to touch your hair. In the back of your mind all you could focus one was how she smelt of smoke and incense.    
  
“A beautiful young lady deserves something equally as beautiful to adorn her neck, does she not?” The woman practically purred.   
  
You looked at a collection of her pieces and opted for something simple. A thin silver chain with what appeared to be a set of interwoven wings. You offered her an entire gold coin for it and her eyes widened as she took it and bit down on it, testing the authenticity.   
  
“T-thank you my lady. May that necklace serve you well,” she stammered out as she slipped the coin into her pocket and bowed.   
  
You felt Levi’s hand on your waist suddenly pull you away, a bit more rough than you had expected of him.   
  
“Don’t be stupid. Flaunting coin like that is going to get you more than just assassins.” He warned before guiding you towards another stall and releasing his hold on you.   
  
“The necklace is beautiful, she deserves it for such fine craftsmanship, doesn’t she?”

“And if she decides to tell everyone about the ‘beautiful young woman who paid her double its worth’? Who she had never seen before of course,” He chided.   
  
“Beautiful?” 

“Use your brain, brat.” He responded, not quite broaching your question.   
  
“Help me put it on?”   
  
He gave a small grunt in reply and took the delicate chain from you as he maneuvered himself behind you. His hands were warm as they brushed your neck and brought the chain around it. You had to help him by moving your hair so he could see the clasp, but soon the new piece of jewelry rested comfortably just above your breast.   
“Let’s go,” he rumbled, his voice sounding more tense than normal.

Many of the other stalls caught your eye and you found yourself making more purchases against Levi’s advice. You were careful not to flaunt any gold but you had plenty of silver and copper pieces on you as well. Why come to a market if not to buy something?   
  
Most of the purchases were for others. You bought a beautiful plumed quill for Armin, two whetstones for Mikasa and Eren, and even some exotic looking spices for Connie. Your heart felt light and you allowed yourself to be swept up in all the chaos of the market.   
At one point, Levi slipped away for a few moments, perhaps hoping you wouldn’t realize. You took the opportunity to peruse a small shop selling different blends of tea and purchased something hastily. You gave yourself a mental pat on the back that you were able to hide the gift before he returned.   
  
When he came back he was holding what looked to be some sort of savory pie. He shoved it into your hands.   
  
“Eat, it’s getting late and I don’t want you whining later,” he explained.   
  
It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing looking thing you thought as you examined it. To be fair most of your meals were specially catered to your liking. The growling coming from your stomach didn’t leave you much room to complain though.   
  
You took a curious bite and looked up at Levi as you did so, surprised to see him looking back at you. Without thinking, you bit off much more than you could comfortably chew, but luckily for you the food tasted better than you expected. It wasn’t seasoned as heavily as the foods in the castle but whoever had made it definitely knew what they were doing.   
  
“S’good!” You managed with puffed cheeks    
  
Levi scoffed and looked away, “It’s nothing compared to what they serve you. Don’t talk with your mouth full.”   
  
“No, maybe not,” you began after you had managed to swallow, “but that doesn’t make it any less good. These people don’t get to use a royal kitchen or have access to the resources we do behind the castle walls, yet they still manage all of this?”   
  
“Resilience is the one glowing beacon of humanity. We take what is given to us and we survive. If we can manage.”

“My people shouldn’t have to just survive. They should thrive.”   
  
“Tell that to the poor,” Levi gestured to a man at the entrance of a smaller looking shop.   
  
You turned towards where he had pointed and your eyes fell. There was an older man huddled on a mat just in front of the shop’s window. He looked worse for wear, adorned in clothes caked in dirt and the occasional tear from extended use. You knit your brows together. Surely with the abundance in your kingdom he shouldn’t have to struggle to simply afford new clothing?   
  
“That’s their reality, princess,” Levi said, his tone a bit venomous compared to what it had been only moments ago, “what are you doing?”   
  
You broke away from him and walked towards the beggar. His eyes turned up when your shadow fell across him.   
  
“Here, I’m sure you could put this to better use than I could,” you said while digging into your coin purse and reaching out for his hand. You looked around to see if anyone had their eyes on you, taking Levi’s words to heart.   
  
With only Levi as your witness you slipped two silvers and a gold coin directly into the homeless man’s palm. He looked up at you with wide eyes and began to speak but you shushed him by pressing a finger to your lips. His mouth snapped shut and he nodded fervently and began shoving the coins into a pocket lining the inside of his shirt.    
  
For good measure you left the rest of your meat pie with him. You found that your appetite had left you and instead you had been graced with a headache as you tried to shuffle through all of the thoughts in your head.

“Levi, it’s getting dark, isn’t it?” You said as you returned to him.   
  
“Hm? Yeah.” He replied, looking like he was lost in his own thoughts.   
  
“We should head home. It's been a long day. Please,” you urged.

The two of you walked in silence through most of the market before Levi finally asked, “Why did you do that?”   
  
You didn’t have to ask what he had been referencing.   
  
“I sit in a marble castle and want for nothing. My father would have me believe the entire kingdom prospers under his rule and that there is nothing to be done for those beneath us. That we give them every opportunity possible and they simply don’t wish to take it. But...I doubt that man was given the same opportunity as I was. Or a member of the Kingsguard. Perhaps not even you,” you looked up to him.   
  
“Perhaps…” Levi trailed off.   
  
The sunlight was quickly fading and as you moved away from the market and towards the castle you became aware of the lack of buildings along the road. Your nerves were already frayed from everything that happened that day and you found yourself standing as close to Levi as you could manage in an attempt to find some comfort in familiarity.   
  
“Are you alright?” He asked, no doubt noticing your uneasiness.   
  
“Ah? Fine. Just never been fond of the dark. Never know what could be hiding in it,” you laughed, feeling like you sounded a bit crazy.   
  
“Pull your hood up,” he said simply.   
  
You did as he said, making sure to adjust it so that it covered a good portion of your face from view of anyone who wasn’t directly in front of you.   
  
A foreign arm suddenly laced itself up under your cloak and wrapped around your waist, its hand resting on your hip and pulling you close. You were suddenly flush against Levi and trying to swallow a lump in your throat that had just appeared. His touch was much gentler than earlier and its intent was to pull you closer to him rather than away from something else.   
  
“Don’t worry, brat. I won’t let the monsters get you,” his tone wasn’t teasing in the slightest. If anything it had been the most earnest you had heard him before.   
  
You didn’t respond but if he noticed your muscles relax or the way you melted into the touch, he didn’t say anything either.   
  
Making it back into the castle was easy. Erwin was still on duty and seemed to have been expecting the two of you. The gates and courtyard had long been cleared of merchants and you didn’t see or hear Armin anywhere.   
  
“When I said home before dark I didn’t mean to push it to the last possible moment,” Erwin said as he sauntered up to the two of you. His eyes dropped to where Levi’s arm came out of his cloak and disappeared under yours. You felt your cheeks heat up and waited for him to say something or for Levi’s arm to drop. Neither happened.   
  
“The kid hasn’t ever been outside the walls and you expected her not to be a hand full? I’m lucky I didn’t have to put a leash on her,” Levi bit back.   
  
“That would be unbecoming of a princess, I suppose,” Erwin said in a hushed tone, “I hope you enjoyed yourself, your majesty.”   
  
You nodded quietly and the commander chuckled, “Have a good night. Levi, we’ll be sending over a guard to post outside in about an hour. Try not to have too much fun, or if you do you two better be quick about it.”   
  
“E-excuse me?!” You stammered but Erwin was already walking away. He seemed to do that a lot.   
  
“Idiot. He has the wrong idea,” Levi said before letting his arm break free from your waist causing your heart to sink.    
  
The walk back to the room was a quiet one. You took the time to disappear into thought.   
  
Getting to see how your people live and breathe first hand had been exhilarating. There was so much culture and beauty there but you couldn’t help but wonder why your father would want you so far away from all of it. How could you rule them while locked away in a castle.   
  
Your heart sunk further. Perhaps that had been his intention for a while now. With the betrothal you wouldn’t be ruling this kingdom from the castle or not. You would be ruling in Marley and even then it wouldn’t likely be your reign that they came to know. It would be Bertolt’s. You were just a pawn in this game. You didn’t get to make any decisions. Where you lived, what you wore, who you loved…   
  
Your eyes slipped over to Levi. He was staring straight ahead but his face looked more tense than usual. Half of you wanted to reach out and smooth the harsh lines between his brow and along his jaw. The other half reminded you that just a minute ago he had pulled away at even the insinuation of being overly friendly.   
  
When you reached your chambers he opened the door for you and you let out a sigh of relief at being able to finally remove the cloak adorning your shoulders.   
  
“What are you  _ wearing _ ?” Annie’s voice caught you off guard.   
  
Levi walked straight past Annie and removed his cloak, placing it on the back of his chair before flopping into it and attempting to get comfortable.   
  
“W-what are you doing in here?” you stammered, not sure how to answer her question without giving yourself away. As if your clothes didn’t already do that.   
  
“I asked you first,” Annie retorted. She seemed awkward and uncomfortable with the situation, standing smack dab in the center of your room. Her gaze also flicked to one side quite frequently as if trying to see Levi somewhere behind her.   
  
“I…” your shoulders fell, “went outside the castle walls.”   
  
“After the assassination attempt? Really?”    
  
“Well of course I had my guard with me! I’m not  _ that _ stupid.”   
  
“Still stupid,” she berrated you.   
  
“Why are you in my room?”   
  
“I wanted to come talk to you. I figured you’d be wallowing in your own misery. You do that a lot.”   
  
You became acutely aware of Levi still in the room. For his part he didn’t seem too interested in whatever you two were saying or doing. His gaze looked quite empty and his head was facing your bed and away from the two of you.   
  
“Nope, no wallowing here. Just enjoying the last of my freedoms before I’m killed or married. Whichever comes first,” you sighed.   
  
“Oh stop being so dramatic. Bertolt isn’t even that bad and I’m sure you’ll love Marley. Maybe even more than Eldia.”   
  
“And when you’re ruler of Eldia I’m sure you’ll come visit me  _ all  _ the time,” you hissed.   
  
That one seemed to throw Annie for a bit of a loop. She looked at you in confusion and then even looked back at Levi, as if he would somehow have the words she was looking for. He didn’t acknowledge her.   
  
She turned back to you, “What do you mean? I’m not going to rule Eldia.”   
  
“Unless father manages to have a son, yes you will. I’m getting married into Marley. You get to stay in Eldia. That’s how this works, Annie. Did you not think about that when they announced my betrothal?”   
  
“N-no…”   
  
“Well that’s what’s happening. I marry Bertolt and he whisks me away to his castle and the only time I get to see any of you is when he has business with Eldia,” you found yourself yelling at her. It wasn’t fair to take your anger out on her but your emotions got the best of you.   
  
“Father wouldn’t let that happen…”   
  
“He already  _ did  _ Annie. They already signed the papers. All that’s left is for Bertolt to put a ring on my finger and father to start teaching you how to run a kingdom!”   
  
“Stop,” she yelled back, “stop acting like you always know everything!”   
  
“What do you mean? Of course I know everything! It’s my betrothal. At least I’ll eventually get to ‘wallow in my misery’ alone, right?”   
  
Annie let out a small sniffle and shoved past you, running out the door and slamming it behind her.   
  
You sat down on the edge of your bed and wiped away the hot tears that had begun rolling down your face. You couldn’t quite remember when they had started. This whole situation made you feel like a teenager again, lost and with no say in how you wanted to live your life.   
  
“Pushing her away isn’t going to make it hurt less when you are gone,” Levi’s voice carried from across the room.   
  
“What would you do?” you asked him.   
  
“The difference between your decision and mine is worlds apart. We don’t have the same experiences. You need to believe in yourself or the people around you that they know what’s best for you. I’ve never known which to choose. I believe in my own abilities but I also believe in those who I love. But no one ever knows how things will turn out. So make your choice, whichever you think you will regret the least,” He replied.   
  
His answer surprised you. It was the first real look you had gotten into how his mind worked and how his outlook towards life was.   
  
“And if you were a wayward princess who was doomed to an unwanted betrothal?” you asked, curiosity getting the better of you.   
  
His gaze looked almost predatory as he replied this time, “Is that not the same question worded different? What would I do? Marry? Run away and settle down with someone in the countryside? Perhaps pray someone would steal me away? I don’t know. I’m not a wayward princess.”   
  
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” you joked.   
  
“Noted.”   
  
“You should get some sleep, I’m sure another guard will be here any minute to relieve you. You can have the bed for a while? I can stay up a bit longer,” you offered, but your body betrayed you as your muscles ached and your head drooped forward.   
  
“No, I’m going to walk along the castle grounds. I’ll leave once the guard has been posted.”   
  
As if on cue there was a knock and Mikasa poked her head in.   
  
Levi stood up and looked at you for a moment longer than seemed necessary and then left. Mikasa gave you a pondering look and motioned to your clothes and then towards where Levi had exited, but you just waved her off and laid down.   
  
That night you had nightmares. It was like you were an animal in a cage. When you awoke you could have sworn you saw Levi over you whispering some calming words you couldn’t quite make out as he lulled you back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting to see more of Levi! Getting his characterization down can be a bit of a challenge (ㆆ_ㆆ). I'm trying to keep updates pretty regular but I do want to maybe see about pushing in some more descriptive scenes so if there is a bit longer of a waiting period between chapters I apologize.


	5. Defense Basics 101

The next couple of days moved in a haze that you were rarely able to drag yourself out of. It was a mix of trying to slip back into a routine you were familiar with but also trying to keep yourself to succumbing to your nerves. You couldn’t ignore the assassination attempt or your betrothal no matter how hard you tried. And if that weren’t enough there was suddenly a rumble throughout the kingdom of hushed whispers aimed at your father and yourself.  
  
Most corridors were empty this early in the morning apart from you and Levi. Much to his chagrin, and your father’s, you had begun switching your normal wardrobe out for ease of movement as opposed to vanity. Something about the conversation from a few nights before had caused a change in your demeanor that everyone had quickly begun to pick up on. You were still the same princess floundering to get a grip on her future but you had gotten some of your goals finally aligned.   
  
You were going to marry Bertolt. Fighting that fact would have been akin to fighting the entire Kingsguard empty handed. So if you couldn’t defeat them you would join them.   
  
So that’s why you were up earlier than the sun, walking the empty palace halls with an apple in one hand and a parchment detailing your betrothal in the other. You had pored over the writing for hours in an attempt to find any small text about the possibility of annulment but had come up short. Even Levi had skimmed over it to humor you but there was _nothing_ .   
  
Now your focus was simply on how you could help your people from the sidelines in Marley. You spoke with Armin at length about what the best trade routes would be and how best to secure them. There was even some debate about which tradelines would be best utilized for which products and how best to disperse them to the people.   
  
“If you think any harder your head will begin to smoke,” Levi interrupted your train of thought without a care in the world, it seemed.   
  
“And if I stop thinking, I become complacent. What was it you said about being a wayward princess?”   
  
“That I am not one.”   
  
“And it appears that I can’t be one either,” you moped a bit before biting into your apple and continuing with your mouth full, “but if I play my cards right, maybe I can give Annie some more time before she has to follow in my footsteps.”   
  
“Have you spoken with her recently?”   
  
“Not since the night I yelled at her,” you sighed, “I just...got ahead of myself. I can’t worry about things if I’m busy.”   
  
“You won’t be able to change anything in only three days.”   
  
“Lucky me I have a year before my charming prince comes to put a ring on my finger. Or better…” you stopped suddenly and whirled on Levi, making him stop in his tracks as you pretended to knock an arrow and shoot it at him.   
  
“You’re very nonchalant for a woman who probably has a bounty on her head,” he deadpanned, crossing his arms over his chest.   
  
“Well a lot can change in a couple of days.”   
  
“Including one’s entire wardrobe?”   
  
You chuckled, “That’s on you. Should never have introduced me to pants.”   
  
“I’m sure most of the men in the castle welcome the change.”   
  
“If I didn’t know any better Levi I’d say it sounds like you’re insinuating my peers have taken to staring at my ass,” you said as you turned on your heel and continued walking down the hall.   
  
“Of course not your _majesty_ .”   
  
“Anyhow, what have you heard about the unrest in town? I overheard Erwin talking to Eren and Mikasa before he sent them out to go settle a dispute in the markets.”   
  
“Your father has already kept the castle gates closed to the general public. Then his eldest daughter is suddenly formally betrothed to a nation that Eldia is barely on speaking terms with. _Then_ less than an hour later an attempt is made on her life. Half the citizens think that we are already under Marley’s thumb and the others believe the conspiracy that you’re already dead.”   
  
You laughed, “Oh! I haven’t heard that one yet. Hmm...do I look dead to you, Levi? Maybe I need to get more sleep.”   
  
Levi grabbed your wrist and spun you around, forcing you to stop walking and face him. You let out a little grunt at having been stopped so unexpectedly and almost lost your balance. Something in your stomach made you panic and try to pull your hand away but his grip was tight and you were barely able to budge his arm much less escape his grasp.   
  
“What are you doing?” you hissed out.   
  
He didn’t answer, his eyes met yours as he pulled your arm towards him and made you stumble forward. He sidestepped to allow your momentum to make you fall past him then twisted your arm around and to your back. This movement forced you to drop the parchment in your hand and yelp in alarm.   
  
“What the fuck is your problem?” you hollered, your heart raced in fear almost as fast as your mind raced in confusion.   
  
Levi let go almost as suddenly as he had grabbed you and moved to pick the parchment up that you had dropped. When he looked up you were rubbing your wrist and backing away from him.   
  
“If you don’t want to die - think,” he held the parchment out to you.   
  
“What does that even _mean?_ ” you asked as you snatched it out of his hand.   
  
“The attacker was inside the castle. If they don’t know _you_ they know someone who does. I’m here but I can’t be the only person you can rely on, you need to learn how to trust _yourself_ . If someone ever attacks you, you’d be helpless.”   
  
“So what do you want me to do? Start doing drills with the guard? Carry a dagger?”   
  
“No, but if someone tries to come at you in the dark or take advantage of you when you aren’t paying attention you need to be able to defend yourself.”   
  
“So teach me instead. You didn’t have to be so rough without a warning,” you pouted.   
  
“Fine,” he waved you off as if that was the most normal request you had made since meeting.   
  
“Wait, what? Actually?”   
  
“I’m your bodyguard. My main priority is your safety and if your dumb ass can’t even fight off a common pickpocket then I’m fucking up somewhere.”   
  
“Alright...we could come up with some time later this week I guess,” you said hesitantly.   
  
“Let’s do it now.”   
  
“Now?!”   
  
“Tch, are you scared of me?”   
  
Your mind was suddenly preoccupied with the memory of first meeting him. It had been what? A week ago at most, not even. A morning similar to this. It seemed so long ago. In those few days you had already almost died, seen outside the castle walls, come to terms with your betrothal, and upset Annie so badly you would be surprised if she ever talked to you again. The weight of it all was staggering.   
  
“No…”   
  
“Good, then let’s go to the gardens. You’re already wearing the right clothes and the grass should pad your falls.”   
  
“I think you mean fall.”   
  
“Falls,” he reiterated with emphasis on the ‘s’.   
  
You simply snorted in reply and decided to let him take the lead as you trailed behind in thought. He was right, you would need to eventually learn some basic defense if you wanted to go outside the castle walls again. And you _were_ going outside the wall again before you were packed up and sent to Marley. It was clear that freedom was going to be addictive.   
  
You got lost in the sway of Levi’s hips as he ambled towards the gardens. No one was around and you didn’t feel guilty as long as he didn’t catch you zoning out. The idea of having to spar with him felt strange. You wondered if you would prefer Eren or Mikasa.   
  
No doubt Eren would go too easy on you just like he did with all of his friends. You remembered how him and Annie used to quarrel when you were kids. Mikasa on the other hand would probably move too quickly for you to understand or really _learn_ in what she was teaching. She was skilled, absolutely, but as a teacher you weren’t sure she would be a safe bet.   
  
Levi would probably work you pretty hard but he wouldn’t overdo it. Your cheeks heated up at the thought of him pinning you down in the grass, panting with effort to hold you down as you started to pick up on his teachings. Would you realistically be able to pin him? You doubted that in a real fight you would even be able to get in a punch.   
  
When the two of you finally made it outside the first trails of sunlight were just beginning to shine over the mountains. The autumn air was getting cooler by the day but Levi tossed his cloak off and to the side so you followed suit. You were wearing nothing but a long sleeved blouse again and a thin tunic but the chill helped keep you alert and awake.   
  
You danced around him playfully with your fists up, “Alright what’s first?”   
  
“First we’ll cover what you do if someone grabs your wrist just like I did. Come here.”   
  
You walked up and he grabbed your wrist. He wasn’t as aggressive this time and you were ready for it but you allowed him to move you around as he saw fit.   
  
“When someone grabs you their goal is to pull you in,” he said as he pulled you in close and forced you to stand eye to eye, barely inches apart.   
  
Before you could react he pushed you back.   
  
“So how do you counteract that?” he asked.

“Pull away?”  
  
“That’s what they’ll be expecting. You get scared and frantic so you tense up and try to pull away. All it takes is a good hard pull to get you off balance.”   
  
“So what do I do? If I can’t pull away but don’t want to get pulled forward,” you rolled your eyes, “then I just play dead?”   
  
“Would you shut up, brat? I’m trying to teach you. Grab my wrist.”   
  
You did as he asked, reaching out to grab his wrist tightly. As soon as you did that he clasped his opposite hand over your offending hand and swung his arm around so he could rotate yours upside down and grab your wrist instead. This left you facing the ground and him with the arguably better position.   
  
“Now once I have you like this it’s as simple as,” he pushed forward and the only option you had was to either fall to your knees or risk breaking a bone in your arm. You opted for the safer option and fell with a grunt.   
  
“From here it’s as simple as giving them a kick in the side and bolting. You don’t want to fight someone head on if you can avoid it. The best case scenario is to get away. Let’s go again.”   
  
He repeated the process a couple times with you, moving slower to make sure you understand the movement. He then had you do the motions on him and you were, surprisingly, successful.   
  
“Alright, now, if someone grabs you from behind...grab me like this and I’ll demonstrate,” he spoke as he stepped behind you and stretched to reach up and wrap his arms around your upper body. He had one of your shoulders almost full incapacitated and his other arm up against your neck.   
  
When he released you, you mimicked the move on him.   
  
“This one is more difficult but women have a better center of gravity so you should be just fine. First, you grab their arms to keep them from choking you if you can and you turn your head to the side to protect the most vulnerable parts of your neck. Then you drop to a squat.”   
  
He did all this and took you down with him when he squatted. Then, without warning, he wrapped a leg behind your hips and grabbed your knees. Before you could react he lifted your lower body and sent your back straight to the ground, pushing all the air out of your lungs and making you gasp.   
  
“Ow!”   
  
“Sorry,” he didn’t sound sorry.   
He repeated the process a couple more times and then had you do the same. By the time you were done you were out of breath and even Levi seemed to be a bit winded from so many full body checks with the ground.   
  
“Alright...last one. This one is in case anyone tries to take advantage of you.”   
  
“Advantage...like…?”   
  
“Not everyone is going to be as chaste as you are, princess. On your back,” he motioned towards the ground.   
  
You gulped. The assassination attempt had been to kill you but the idea that someone would want to hurt you in that way was a whole different beast all together.   
  
But all that left your brain the second you were in the grass on your back and looking up at Levi. He didn’t seem phased by the position as he parted your knees and pulled you to him so your hips were flush together.   
  
“Ah, are you sure this one is really necessary?” you stuttered and turned your head away, not sure you could handle this position as well as having to make eye contact with him.   
  
“I’m sure. Pay attention,” he snapped.   
  
You turned your head immediately to look up at him again and prayed that he couldn’t feel your body trembling under him. He leaned forward and put a hand on each of your shoulders, his body almost completely pressed against yours.   
  
“In this situation there is a strong chance your assailant may _be_ or may be _attempting_ to choke you. I don’t think I need to do that to have you learn and I would rather not risk hurting you.”   
  
“Didn’t stop you from knocking me on my ass earlier.”   
  
“Your ass is a lot more cushioned than your neck. Now, wrap your arms around mine. You want to take away the control in my elbows.”   
  
You did as he asked and could feel his arms shiver a bit under the backwards strain.   
  
“Good, now wrap your legs around my hips.”   
  
“What?” you squeaked.   
  
“Wrap your legs around my hips and push down.”   
  
Every part of you was screaming. You could feel the heat radiating off of him in waves and were acutely aware of how thin the fabric you were wearing felt without a cloak. Your mind was racing and your heart felt like it had relocated to your throat.   
  
In the end you wrapped your legs around his waist in compliance. The first thing you noticed was just how solid he was. He was arguably slender but it was pretty obvious he could take a majority of the Kingsguard in a fight. You doubted you would be able to flat out push him off even if you tried. You shifted your hips up into his in an attempt to get a better grip and you heard him let out a little grunt of what was probably discomfort from you digging your heels into the small of his back. His hips pressed down against yours and you bit your lip trying to pretend the friction didn’t feel nice.   
  
“Alright enough _wiggling_ , brat.”   
  
“Sorry,” you whined and followed his direction by attempting to push his hips down.   
  
It was clear you had done it incorrectly based on the irritation in his eyes. You had pressed your thighs together while attempting to push down and had inadvertently pulled him in closer. This was a nightmare. Every last inch of you was burning up under his gaze _and_ under his body. You wanted to push him off. You wanted to pull him closer. Mostly you just wanted this to be happening anywhere but a public garden.   
  
“Not...like that. Push straight down. It should push me back,” he scolded, not seeming to pick up on how the situation was affecting you.   
  
He pulled away a few inches to allow you to try again. This time you used primarily your calves to push him down, forcing his hips away from yours.   
  
“Now put your legs over my shoulders.”   
  
“I think you’re overestimating my flexibility.”   
  
“I’m sure you’re capable.”   
  
You flung your legs up and over his shoulders with another grunt of effort, crossing your ankles behind his neck.   
  
“Now lift your hips. _Slowly_ . I don’t need you to break my elbows.”   
  
Obediently, you began to lift your hips and heard a small pop from one of Levi’s joints. Even he couldn’t hide a wince which caused you to immediately drop back down.   
  
“This is the last resort if someone pins you down. You’ll be breaking both of their elbows. But if you’re pinned it could be life or death. Make sure you wrap your legs around their waist _first_ in this scenario as well. They won’t always be as willing as me to sit still.”   
  
You pulled your arms away so they weren’t wrapped around his elbows any longer and rested your hands on his shoulders, not really having anywhere better to put them. Your legs slipped quite naturally from his shoulders to once again sit at his waist.   
  
“Okay, I think I got it. Try again?”   
  
He regarded you closely and you gulped. You wondered how ‘chaste’ you would remain if you continued to run through these practices.   
  
Rough but precise, Levi pulled your hips down again so your bodies pressed against each other.. You bucked up slightly in alarm but he held you down with ease.   
  
“We’ll do this routine a couple more times and then we’ll run through the others in quick succession. I want to test how well you do when we move quickly and you’re tired.”   
  
You nodded and wrapped your arms around his again, giving him little to no warning as you slammed his hips down and wrapped your legs around his neck.   
  
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” he hissed.   
  
A smirk spread across your face in response.   
  
The two of you practiced for a few hours like that, switching positions as attacker and victim. By the time you were both losing steam it was beginning to approach noon. Despite the chill both of you were sweating and panting like dogs.   
  
It was his turn to be pinned this time and when you got him under you your arms finally gave out. They had been shakily holding up your weight but you _had_ overestimated yourself this time and went careening down and into Levi.   
  
“Shit, sorry, sorry…” you tried to push yourself up but your arms had about as much resilience as literal noodles.   
  
His arm came to snake around your waist and he flipped you making your back hit the ground with a thud. This time you were well and truly pinned though. He had his legs on either side of yours as he leaned in close. You could feel his breath, hot against your cheek.   
  
“Give up?”   
  
Something stirred in your stomach. Even if you couldn’t wrap your legs around him you could still move them freely between his. You moved slowly, your knee coming to press between his legs. He tensed up but didn’t pull away.   
  
“What kind of _queen_ would I make if I gave up so easily,” you teased.   
  
“Yo! Levi! What are you doing to her?” someone called out from across the garden.   
  
Levi was off you in a flash, the places he had been touching you now felt frigid in the afternoon air.   
  
“I was just teaching the princess how to defend herself from assailants,,” he looked down at you as Mikasa offered her hand to pull you up.   
  
“Hah, yeah. I’m pretty miserable when it comes to protecting myself,” your voice cracked as you spoke.   
  
“Oh, cool. Maybe one day you’ll be able to take me on,” Eren gloated.   
  
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” you replied flippantly.   
  
“Eren…” Mikasa warned him before turning to you, “Armin was looking for you. Something about going over some more lessons on Marley’s national history and commerce.”   
  
You rolled your eyes and then looked over at Levi.   
  
“Guess that’s our cue. Come on.”   
  
“Commander Erwin said to give Levi a couple of hours to himself,” Eren said nervously, “and to tell him um, to ‘get some sleep you grumpy insomniac’.”   
  
“Tch, alright. I’ll be in your quarters, princess,” he nodded to you before walking away.   
  
You chuckled and then turned back to Eren and Mikasa.   
  
“Just us four misfits again, huh? Like the good old days. Let’s go. I can’t wait to learn _all_ about the intricacies of Marley’s legal system and tender.”   
  
You couldn’t help but look back to where Levi had disappeared, going into the castle in the opposite direction you were walking. A small knot began to form in your stomach at the prospect of being alone with him again.


	6. Stunted Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter! Next chapter will be longer with some bar shenanigans and a lead in to a big plot point. Thanks to everyone for reading/sticking with this story. I appreciate you all!

You’re sprawled out in bed listening to the rain fall outside, having opened the window to let in some fresh air. The room was growing colder by the second but you were bundled up and had thrown a blanket over to Levi almost an hour ago. Time felt like...syrup. Thick and slow moving. The fact that it was late in the evening and most of the room was shrouded in darkness didn’t seem to help.   
  
“Have you ever heard of the underground?” Levi inquired out of the blue, looking up from a book he had been reading.   
  
“The what?” you didn’t bother sitting up and instead just peeked out from under the covers at him, eyes squinted in curiosity.   
  
Admittedly, he looked kind of cute. He was bundled up under a blanket as well, only his head and the arm holding the book protruding out.   
  
“The underground.”   
  
“I heard you the first time, Levi. What is that?”   
  
“It’s a shitty place below the kingdom. Your great grandfather used to mine in Eldia. Thought he could make himself rich if he could find out his kingdom was on top of precious metals or gems. Like Marley,” he explained.   
  
“Okay, and…? If this is going to lead into some lecture about my to-be-reign in Marley I don’t want to hear it. I already had to sit through two hours of Armin’s history lessons earlier.”

“You made it through three hours of physical training,” he said apathetically.   
  
“That was fun. His teaching made me feel like my brain abandoned ship.”   
  
“Happy I could entertain you…” his words trailed off and you had trouble meeting his gaze.   
  
When you had gotten back from Armin’s lessons you had found Levi after what had likely been a bath. He had taken the opportunity to perch on the edge of the bed and read, already completely put together with only a bit of water still visible in his hair. Neither of you mentioned what had happened in the gardens, content to sit in comfortable silence while you both took part in your own activities.   
  
In a way it was burning you up inside but it also felt nice that this was a safe place for the two of you. An unspoken truce that the problems you had didn’t have to extend within these four walls. Even if those problems were some weird, unresolved sexual tension.   
  
“So, the underground?” you pressed.   
  
“So your grandfather abandoned it. But when he does he doesn’t bother to lock it up from the citizens. So where do the poor and downtrodden go when they can’t afford a roof over their head?”   
  
“Wait...ew,  _ underground _ ?”   
  
“Ew?”   
  
“Okay not...not ew. But living underground? That’s terrifying! It has to be dark and cold. Not to mention it can’t be safe. People need the sun and air.”   
  
“Yeah. People started to get sick pretty quick. Lack of sun was making some of their legs go bad and being down there so long would fuck up their eyes when they came back up to the surface. If they did.”   
  
He had your full attention at this point and you rolled over to look at him. You got tangled up in the blankets a bit as you did so.   
  
“Maybe you should use some of those defense strategies on the covers,” he joked sarcastically.   
  
“Ha ha. So why bring this up? Read it in your book?”   
  
“That unrest you were talking about earlier...a lot of it is stemming from there recently. Marley and Eldia are suddenly friendly and they begin to wonder if the royals want to start digging up their newfound homes,” he flipped some hair out of his eyes, “and the king refuses to address their concerns. Some of them start to try to relocate to the surface but the towns are already packed full. It starts fights in the streets.”   
  
“Like the ones Eren and Mikasa had to deal with?”   
  
“Yeah. So then the merchants start to notice an increase in theft. The more people on the surface, the more they have to look out for it. But they don’t want to admit that they’re pissed off too. They store half their supplies down there and now they’re wondering what they’re going to do with their product.”   
  
“So we’re sitting on a ticking bomb that’s got a countdown until I marry Bertolt.”   
  
He moved the blanket off his lap and stood up to close the window, perhaps avoiding having to respond to your statement.   
  
“Why are you telling me this?” you asked.   
  
“A lot of times you’re going into a situation you know nothing about. If I can give you insight, I will. You’ve got a lot to learn before you become a queen, kid. A lot of tough decisions to make.”   
  
You sighed and rolled over to face away from him. The weight of everything was on your shoulders and every day it seemed to get even heavier. Just a day or two ago you thought that the impoverished in Eldia were few and far between. Now your  _ bodyguard  _ of all people was telling you of an entire community, perhaps even a city, found underground and filled with the downtrodden who your father had opted to completely ignore.   
  
“I feel like I don’t even know my father anymore. What other secrets has he kept from me?”   
  
“Do you trust him?” he asked you as he sat back down in his chair and took a sip of what was definitely tea gone cold. His face contorted in distaste.   
  
“I trust you,” you answered after a few moments of thought.   
  
“Get some rest, brat.”   
  
You offered him an overexaggerated sigh as you settled in for the night.   
  
You and Levi proceeded to start up a routine for the next week. Early mornings were dedicated to breakfast together, usually including some form of tea to help warm both of you up. Autumn was quickly turning to winter and the castle was starting to chill like it always did this time of year.   
  
Once breakfast was over you would meet with Armin, then follow up with more defense training. This usually gave Levi a couple hours of free time and you the opportunity to steal Eren or Mikasa as your de facto guardian. You had insisted on Commander Erwin allowing you to steal both of them but he had been adamant on the necessity of having as many guards as possible to help with the ever increasing disputes in town.

  
It was that a random morning much like any other when Armin seemed to finally clue in to exactly what you were trying to ignore.   
  
“Do you have feelings for Levi?”   
  
The leftover tea you had been sipping on from breakfast came out your nose.    
  
“W-what? Why would you ask that? Of course not, he’s my  _ bodyguard _ . I’m  _ engaged _ , Armin Arlert!” you pushed back his question frantically while trying to clean up the spill, doing yourself no favors.   
  
“Plenty of people who marry for political reasons have other...commitments,” he pointed out, trying to sound as neutral as possible.   
  
“Wait you’d want to fuck  _ that guy _ ?” Eren suddenly plowed right into the conversation. Funny, you could have sworn he was asleep while you were talking about the royal lineage of Marley.   
  
“Eren!” you and Armin both yelled in unison.   
  
“What?! He has about as much personality as a teaspoon. Is that what you guys have been doing every afternoon?”   
  
“No!” you snapped, “of course not! He’s my bodyguard. Nothing else. Besides, he sleeps in my chambers. You really think if we were doing anything it would be in the public garden?”   
  
“So you are seeing him? You’ve been acting differently recently I just assumed maybe he was helping you with stress management and that’s why you’ve been more...driven than normal,” Armin offered.   
  
Things were spiraling quickly and you didn’t know if you should laugh or cry. The noise you made sounded like a little bit of both.   
  
“No. I...I’ve just finally come to terms with everything. It’s not about him. I know what I have to do for me and my country but just because I’m a princess doesn’t mean I have to…”   
  
“Have to what?” Eren asked.   
  
“Look, I’m fine playing the role of princess. If I have to start wearing the frilly dresses again and pretending I’m someone I’m not...I can do that. Call it an unforeseen awakening but I won’t let myself be placated by ignorance. I don’t want to just be another woman in the family tree who has a baby to further the family line and is completely forgotten because she never did anything for herself or her people. If I have to do things from the background, I will.”   
  
“No one would think of you like that. Not everyone has to change the world,” Armin insisted.   
  
“And not everyone is given the opportunity that I am!” your voice began to raise as the stress in your stomach bubbled, “I was born to become queen and raised to assume that whatever man I married would be the one who takes care of the kingdom, but why? I’ve met my people and they need my help. They need someone to be their voice.”   
  
Eren and Armin looked at you, baffled. You covered your mouth with your hands.   
  
“Did you go outside the walls?” Eren asked, a smile beginning to grow on his face.   
  
“Maybe. I didn’t go alone! I was safe! I wore a cloak to cover up!” you tried to argue.   
  
“You could have been killed!” Armin chimed in.   
  
“You’re braver than I thought you were,” Eren laughed out loud and leaned back in his seat, throwing his legs up on the table.   
  
“That is not  _ brave,  _ Eren. She has someone trying to kill her and she went outside the walls with what, one person? Levi I’m guessing?”   
  
“Yes and guess what? It was the first time I’ve seen a  _ river,  _ Armin. The first time I got to hear the sounds of the city. The first time I walked up a hill or saw a mountain at its base. The first time I actually felt like I was part of Eldia and not a prisoner in my own home.”   
  
Armin and Eren were quiet.   
  
“I’m going to go out again. No one can stop me. I have a year to actually try to know my kingdom before I’m sent away. That’s all I have. A year. A year to find out how I can help them, how I can serve them as queen of Marley.”   
  
Eren slammed his hands down on the table, “You should go drinking with us!”   
  
“What?” you stammered.   
  
“Drinking! With the Kingsguard. When we’re off duty. Me, Mikasa, Jean, and a couple of the new recruits. Isabel and Furlan,” he responded, looking more excited than he should.   
  
“No, she shouldn’t! Eren, are you trying to get her killed?” Armin stood up looking exasperated.    
  
“No, I’m  _ trying  _ to help her have a little fun. She says Levi isn’t giving her any stress relief and she’s acting like her betrothal is a death sentence or worse. Doesn’t she deserve a night to just stop worrying? You could come too! Jean will be there. Don’t know what you see in that horse face but he’s been asking about you recently.”   
  
“He has?” Armin’s attention seemed to have been caught.   
  
“Yeah yeah, worried about you being in the crossfire with all this assassination stuff. Hasn’t had a chance to visit between guard duty and your schedule,” he said, waving Armin off after his explanation, “so what do you say? Drinks at the Stohess Bar tomorrow night.”   
  
“I’d have to see if Levi is willing. I can’t really go anywhere without him,” your had to admit, even you were apprehensive to a large gathering in the city with alcohol involved.   
  
“It’ll be fine. Bring it up to him after you run your training drills or whatever it is you do. I’m sure he’ll be too busy thinking with his other head to care,” Eren huffed.   
  
“Eren!” you and Armin once again yelled.   
  
And that was how you ended up flat on your back in the grass that afternoon, looking up at Levi and debating how to ask him if you had ‘permission’ to go outside tomorrow evening. It was funny, the relationship you had with him. You were almost positive the attraction was one sided on your end. You had a go at him that day in the gardens and it hadn’t been brought up by him since. For that, you were thankful. It still made it strange. The ball was in his court and you were fine just being his charge if that was what he wanted.   
  
Yet despite the fact that you were pretty sure you would listen to any command he gave you, you were technically still his superior. If he said no to having you go outside the wall again, you didn’t actually have to listen. Sure he could speak with the King about your transgressions but he didn’t seem like the type.   
  
Then something alarming popped into your head as he held his hand out to help you up.   
  
“About last week,” you started.   
  
He stiffened but kept his gaze on you, remaining quiet.   
  
“I know things were...I know I kind of pushed my luck. I shouldn’t have,” you pulled at your shirt sleeve nervously, “it wasn’t fair to you. I’m the princess and you were hired by my father. For me to come on to you was taking advantage of my position and it put you in a bad spot. I don’t expect-”   
  
“That’s what you were worried about? That I had to debate returning whatever  _ that _ was or I risked, what, losing my job? Being reprimanded by Commander Erwin for soliciting a princess?”   
  
“Well, I suppose, yeah. It sounds stupid when you put it that way,” you sulked.   
  
“It is stupid. I’m an adult, I can handle if someone comes on to me.”   
  
“Oh. Well okay then. So we’re okay? Nothing weird here?”   
  
His shoulders relaxed and that was a good enough answer for you to continue.   
  
“Cool now that we can forget about all that...Eren and some of the other Kingsguard are going out for drinks tomorrow evening at the Stohess Bar. Is it okay if I…?”   
  
“You don’t need my permission to do what you want,” he said as he got into a fighting stance and you mimicked him.   
  
“Of course not but it’s your job to protect me,” you let out a small grunt at the end of your words, having thrown a half-assed punch and been deflected easily.   
  
“I’m sure there will be plenty of guards there to keep an eye on you,” he tossed his own punch and you dodged out of the way.   
  
“Wait you won’t be coming with?”   
  
“What did I say about trusting yourself?” he bobbed in and sent a sweeping kick under your legs.   
  
You landed on your ass and looked up at him with innocent eyes.   
  
“Come on. If you’re going to be going to a bar I need to get you up to speed,” he offered you a hand and pulled you up.   
  
“So, Levi, met anyone in the castle who  _ has  _ caught your attention?” you teased him, “I know you have a whole two hours to yourself every day.”   
  
“The only people here worth my time have been you and Commander Erwin,” he replied, looking like he was ready to knock you over again.   
  
“I’m happy I made the list,” you smiled coyly and batted your lashes, trying to throw him off. He gave you a strange look which gave you the opportunity to sweep his feet out from under him this time.   
  
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a little shit?”   
  
“Just you, guess it’s part of my charm.”


	7. Long Live the King

You woke up in the middle of the night. In most circumstances you woke up before the sun rose but this time it felt different, the silence only giving way to the ringing in your ears. Nothing stirred and it made you feel uneasy. The fear threatened to overwhelm you until you remembered that Levi should be in the room somewhere.   
  
“Levi?”   
  
“Yes?”   
  
It took a minute for your eyes to adjust to the dark but you were soon able to pinpoint him based off of where his voice had come from. He must have pulled his chair to the window as you could see him swathed in a strip of moonlight from where the curtains had been drawn back. Something about him looked almost melancholy.   
  
“Why are you awake?” you asked as you pushed yourself off the bed and padded over to him, wincing at the cold floor on your bare feet.   
  
“Why are you?”    
  
“I had a strange dream.”

  
“I’m sure you’ll regale me with the details before I have to ask.”   
  
“No, why don’t you come back to bed?”   
  
You could see his shoulders tense as you tried to rub the sleep out of your eyes one at a time, the fog slowly lifting from your brain. It didn’t melt in as to what you had asked for a few moments. You couldn’t help but notice he didn’t look at you while you spoke.   
  
“Not like that. S-sorry. I meant that you should get some sleep. Bring your chair back over to its normal place or you can take the bed for a bit,” you tried to explain.   
  
“Would you want me to join you in bed?”   
  
It was your turn to freeze up. Was he actually offering to share your bed with you? Was it simply to help you fall back asleep or was he actually propositioning you? The air seemed like it had left your lungs, leaving you floundering to try to reply.   
  
“You’re betrothed, princess.”   
  
“I know.”   
  
“You should go back to bed. I doubt Armin will let you out of your studies simply because you plan to go drinking later in the evening.”   
  
“I know…” you replied as you shuffled back to your bed and crawled back under the covers, a strange feeling settling over your chest.   
  
“Levi?”   
  
“Yes?”   
  
“Do you think, if the circumstances were different…?”   
  
“Goodnight, princess.”   
  
You woke up the next morning with almost no memory of the night time conversation beyond knowing that Levi had been awake and you had spoken for a few minutes. When you sat up this time his chair was back where it normally rested and he seemed to have a cup of tea already in his hands. Next to him was a teapot and another cup.   
  
“Didn’t want to go down to the kitchens this morning?” you asked as you scooted to the edge of the bed and grabbed what was, presumably, your cup.   
  
“Your dagger is missing,” he stated bluntly.   
  
“What does that have to do with breakfast? It probably got misplaced while you were cleaning,” you hypothesized while you drank your tea.   
  
“No. It's been missing for almost a week and a half now. I assumed you had moved it or were carrying it on you but while I was cleaning I found no trace of it anywhere in the room.”   
  
You put your cup down hesitantly and gulped. So someone had come into your room and taken an ornamental dagger from you. Normally you would chalk it up to one of the servants perhaps nicking it and had just shrugged your shoulder and moved on. But…   
  
“Do you think someone plans to attack me again?”   
  
“I don’t know. It would be brash with me here and the knife went missing before your plans to go outside the walls with the kingsguard.”   
  
“Should I stay here?”   
  
“You choose. If they’re planning on killing you to make a statement they wouldn’t do it in a random bar, though.”   
  
“ _ If  _ they know I’ll be there.”   
  
He grunted in response and continued to nurse his drink in silence. Something about him today was a bit different. He looked wound up and it made you tense as well, like every hair you had was standing on edge.   
  
“I want you to come to my lessons with Armin. If they’re in the castle and looking to try anything, I want you there.”   
  
His gaze switched to peer at you over the edge of his cup.   
  
“I already informed Armin we’re going to be staying in your chambers for the day and that he can send Eren or Mikasa to come claim you when they intend to leave. He gave me a book for you to look over.”   
  
The book he stood up to get appeared to be a geographical mapping of all of Marley’s cities, holds, and notable attractions. It was actually quite interesting compared to having to attempt to memorize the family trees for the fifth time.   
  
“What did he say when you told him? Did you mention the missing dagger?”   
  
“No. But Eren was with him and told me to ‘make sure she can still walk when we come to get her’,” he said casually as he settled back down.   
  
“W-what an idiot. They all assume I’ve thrown myself into your arms like some helpless maiden looking for comfort,” you said aggressively as you slammed the book open to a random page on your lap.   
  
“Mm. Is that your intention?”   
  
“Didn’t I already apologize for pushing my luck?”   
  
“Not with me. A trip to a random bar with the kingsguard? You have mentioned wanting to spend the next year living life to the fullest,” he said matter-of-factly.    
  
You thought about it for a minute. Maybe he was right. You hadn’t had the ability to really be affectionate with anyone. Eren and Armin were the closest men you had and neither of them were particularly available options even if you did want them. Virginity seemed like such a strange concept but it still hung over you like a forbidden fruit. Did you truly want your one and only experiences to be with Bertolt? Did you want them to be with a faceless stranger in a bar?   
  
“What happens, happens. I can make those decisions when I cross that bridge.”   
  
Something in Levi’s gaze seemed to turn fiery, like he didn’t seem particularly happy with your answer.   
  
“Ah, Levi I never took you for someone to believe in the  _ sanctity  _ of keeping yourself pure until marriage. Should I be waiting until I’m to have Bertolt?” you laughed.   
  
“No.”   
  
“Then I suppose that’s that. Unless you have anything pressing to add about my personal life?”   
  
He remained quiet, much to your relief. You were free to spend the remainder of your day looking over the book you had been assigned. Marley was much bigger than Eldia but it was quite clear it was primarily mountains in comparison, relying on hunting villages and trade in order to provide for its capital cities. Perhaps you could talk Bertolt into visiting Eldia more often on the premise of sight seeing.   
  
Once it started to grow dark you decided to change. Levi accommodated you by sitting facing away from you while you did so. Even if you wanted all eyes on you, you still opted to wear pants and a heavier blouse and tunic under your cloak. No reason to stick out with everything going on politically.   
  
You did make it a point to spend extra attention to your hair and any jewelry you wore. The necklace you had bought at the market seemed to fit well and you decided to wear that with a simple set of cheaper earrings.    
  
“How do I look?”   
  
“Like any man would be lucky if he managed to catch your eye.”   
  
You blushed red under the collar.    
  
“Thank you. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to join us?”   
  
“Alcohol doesn’t interest me.”   
  
“Alright. Oh! I have something for you.”   
  
He looked at you quizzically as you bolted past him and dug into the drawer of your nightstand. You pulled out a small green satchel that you had bought from the market when you had gone. Inside was the tea blend you had thought Levi might enjoy. You turned on your heel and plopped it gently in his lap.   
  
Levi regarded it carefully, opening it up and smelling it. When he looked up at you, you just smiled and shrugged your shoulders.   
  
“You didn’t need to. I can purchase my own tea.”   
  
“It’s a present. The whole point is you didn’t have to buy it.”   
  
“Thank you,” he conceded, “I appreciate the gesture.”   
  
There was a soft knock on the door just then, making both of you jump. You laughed and pulled your hood up on your cloak. Levi stood up to see you out, walking both of you to the door. Just as you were beginning to open it he pushed it closed again.   
  
You looked up at him curiously as he reached out awkwardly to pat you on the shoulder.   
  
“Don’t forget what I’ve taught you.”   
  
“I’m not going to get into any trouble, Levi. But I will,” you laughed and put a hand on his upper arm, offering a comforting squeeze. He looked at your hand for a moment before he opened the door and you stepped out, greeting Mikasa with a small wave.   
  
“Eren will meet us at the gates. The rest of the guards are already in the city. Armin, too,” Mikasa explained.   
  
You noticed she was dressed in casual clothes, mostly dark colors and a red scarf around her neck that you had known her to have since childhood.   
  
“How have you and Eren been? I don’t get to see much of you two anymore.”   
  
“Good. The guard has been stretched thin but nothing terrible. It’s nice having something to do but it’ll be better when everything settles down again.”   
  
“I’m sure.”   
  
The two of you walked in companionable silence until you reached the gates. Eren came sauntering up to the two of you, clad in work leathers and with his sword still on his belt.   
  
“Always good to have at least a couple people representing the guard when we go out. That way no asshole thinks we’ll be easy targets for pickpocketing. Sometimes gets us free drinks, too,” he explained with a wide smile.   
  
“How often do you guys do this?” you asked, pulling your hood down a little lower as you made your way past the final guards stationed at the gates.   
  
“Not very often. We have to choose who can go to make sure there are enough guards to stay at the castle. Usually we flip coins. This is the first time where it’s mostly people we know. Furlan and Isabel are new, arrived around the same time as Levi,” Mikasa explained.   
  
“Wait, they’re that new? Are you sure we can trust them?”   
  
“Commander Erwin personally vouched for them. You’ll be safe around them.”   
  
That soothed your worry a bit. Commander Erwin was generally a good judge of character especially if Levi was anything to go off of. You started to let yourself get excited.   
  
By the time you made it to the marketplace there was a pep in your step. Eren stood between you and Mikasa, arms thrown over your shoulders and laughing about how flustered Armin had been seeing Jean in civilian clothing. Mikasa was the first to break away and open to the door for the three of you. Eren yanked your hood down.   
  
There was a cacophony of cheers when you entered that made you jump in surprise. If it hadn’t been for Eren’s laughter you might have even bolted right back out the door. Him and Mikasa pushed you forward gently and soon you were being clapped on the back by some familiar faces.   
  
“Hey, good to see you finally get out of your prison cell. We were worried about you! Didn’t know if you were always going to be a stiff like your father,” Jean laughed and pulled you into an uncharacteristic hug. The smell of alcohol on his breath did the explaining.   
  
Armin was on a barstool just behind him, looking small in comparison to all the soldiers milling around. He offered you a small wave and you couldn’t happen but to notice how pink his cheeks were after he seemed to have had a couple of drinks.    
  
“Course not! I needed a little taste of freedom before they shipped me off, didn’t I?” you chuckled nervously and waved at a couple more people. You recognized Mike who was one of the men usually on rampart duty. You also noticed Petra standing with Oruo in the corner, both of them seemed to be chatting and sipping at some drinks.   
  
“Hey, you should meet Furlan and Isabel. They know Levi! They say he isn’t as big of an ass as he looks but I guess you’d be the one to know all about that, huh,” Jean suggested as he dragged you over to where the two strangers sat at the bar.   
  
Isabel seemed sweet. Her eyes were warm and she had a relaxed air about her that made you feel at ease. Furlan looked a little more jumpy but offered a friendly smile as Jean sloppily introduced you, butchering all three of your names as he did so. It was a small miracle when he finally seemed to lose interest and meandered back to Armin.   
  
“Hello, your majesty,” Isabel offered her hand and you took it readily, “I’ve been working as a falconer for the crown for the past few weeks. I also handle some of the messenger pigeon care and help sort the mail. I work for the guard on days they need extra hands.”   
  
“Well, it’s good to meet you Isabel. I’m happy our mail seems to be in such capable hands,” you smiled and then turned to Furlan.   
  
“Oh, um, Furlan your majesty,” he offered a small bow that made you and Isabel chuckle, “I work for the kingsguard mostly but I know a fair amount about medicines. I grew up in the underground and worked as a doctor of sorts for most of my time there. They usually send me in to help clean up the squabbles in town.”   
  
“Nice to meet you, Furlan. Levi has told me about the underground. What was it like, growing up there? Did the two of you meet there?” you inquired.   
  
“Well all three of us did. Levi and Furlan were friends before I was in the picture. They took me in. I showed up on their doorstep running from some guards and they gave me a safe place to stay,” Isabel chimed in.   
  
“Don’t forget we also took in that poor bird you brought on the chase with you,” Furlan teased.   
  
As they bantered back and forth you had to catalogue some thoughts. Levi had been to the underground before and it sounded like he had even lived there at one point. Did he still have ties there? No one had even mentioned the underground to you besides him. Had it been a tip to try to get you to dig deeper?   
  
“So what did you guys do down there? I can’t imagine it was easy,” you tried to pry gently, not wanting to scare them off by being too blunt.   
  
“Oh we were loads of trouble for the merchants,” Isabel seemed to be an open book, “Levi started it all, honestly. If it wasn’t for him we would all just be common thieves. No, we were able to get our hands on some weapons made by the guard and we would rob the passing merchant shipments. They up the taxes on their goods down there because they know we have no choice but to pay it.”   
  
“So Levi would run raids on them, right? He uh, well he’d steal from the rich, then sell it back to the poor but cut the prices. He would have given it to them for free I think but we needed to save up too,” Furlan chimed in,”then one day, couple years ago, we get caught. Knight Commander Erwin catches wind of our little operation and he really gives Levi a run for his money. It was wild. Those two fought it out for what felt like hours.”   
  
“Erwin wiped the ground with him, Furlan. Don’t make it sound heroic. Levi was pissed. Erwin tried to get him to join the kingsguard because of his skills. Levi said fuck no. They made some agreement though, that Erwin would ease up and start working on the merchants from the inside and wouldn’t say anything about our operation but that Levi would owe him a favor,” Isabel took a deep drink from her flagon,”and that’s how we ended up here. Seems like Erwin called in his favor for you.”   
  
Why you? Why did Erwin feel like your assassination attempt specifically warranted Levi as your guardian so much that he brought not only him, but his right and left hand? You could understand why Levi didn’t disclose his original line of work but why was he hinting at it now? It was also odd that Furlan and Isabel were so calm about telling you all this. They obviously had to have had royal pardons of some sort.   
  
“Wow,” you took a deep breath, “that’s a lot to take in. Interesting story, though. Guess I should be happy that Erwin was willing to call in the favor for me. Levi has been great.”   
  
Isabel and Furlan looked at each other with big smiles and then back to you.   
  
“You two are...settling in together, aren’t you? We see Levi every day when he says you’re studying up on how to rule in Marley. He’s the happiest we’ve seen him in a while,” Isabel beamed.   
  
You took the opportunity to order yourself a drink, something smooth and relatively weak. It would be a lie if you said you knew if you could handle your alcohol or not. The last time you had anything to drink had been a couple years ago when Armin had shared some wine with you on your birthday.   
  
“No, we aren’t. Apparently that’s something the whole castle ‘knows’ about though,” you responded.   
  
“Wait, really? We figured Levi just wasn’t one to er, kiss and tell, you know? Being honest I never really imagined him wanting anyone,” Furlan leaned in a bit as if trying to be discreet.    
  
“Well...it wasn’t for lack of trying on my end, I don’t think. I made it pretty clear I was interested but I am betrothed, after all. He probably doesn’t want bought goods,” you laughed bitterly and took a sip of your drink, wincing at the bitter bite of the alcohol.   
  
“Doubt it. He’s pretty straight forward. If he wants it, he’ll get it eventually. Probably just trying to figure out a couple things before he goes for it,” Isabel responded and placed a comforting hand on your shoulder.   
  
“Are you saying I should just wait for it to happen?” you looked up at her curiously.   
  
“Well, no. I mean have you told him you’re interested?”   
  
“I didn’t explicitly tell him I wanted to sleep with him, Isabel, but I’m pretty sure he got the signal.”   
  
“Well then be blunt with him. Has he said he  _ doesn’t  _ want you?” she asked.   
  
“It’s not that simple. I’m betrothed. You think he wants to be with someone he knows he’ll lose in less than a year? Or that he’d be the type to play mistress to a married woman?”   
  
Isabel shrugged and took another sip of her drink before responding with, “All you can do is ask.”   
  
You sighed and grabbed your drink to pull it close to your chest. Looking around the bar helped take your mind off the conversation. Isabel and Furlan seemed to slip back into chatting about their new hobbies since living in the castle and though they were interesting nothing quite kept your attention much anymore.   
  
A small laugh bubbled up as you realized the whole point of coming to this bar was to get away from the stresses in the castle but they seemed to be following you. Levi at least, seemed to be following you. It had only been a couple weeks and you were catching feelings for your  _ bodyguard _ ? Actual feelings, not just an infatuation?   
  
As you sipped your drink you analyzed your situation. Were you attracted to him? Obviously. Did the two of you get along? You liked to think so, based on the fact that apparently ‘you and Commander Erwin are the only people here worth my time’. Were you willing to put yourself through the heartbreak of pursuing another man when you knew that the duty to your country would eventually separate the two of you? Now that there was the tough one. And this was all riding on the fact that Levi could even have feelings for you.   
  
So now you were sulking in a bar, surrounded by friends who were trying to give you a taste of freedom.    
  
You finished your drink and made some idle chat with Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Jean. Unfortunately they all seemed preoccupied with each other. Armin had relocated to Jean’s lap and Mikasa and Eren were doing their walking on eggshells routine where neither of them admitted their feelings. You wondered what it would be like when that dam broke.   
  
Maybe you just needed some fresh air you told yourself as you slipped out of the tavern and into the cold autumn night.   
  
The moon was high in the sky by now and you had to wonder how long you had been in the bar at this point. You only had one drink but you had sat and talked with Furlan and Isabel for quite some time. Hopefully everyone would start to slow down soon. Judging by the singing coming from inside though, you kind of doubted it.   
  
It was risk and probably stupid but you figured you could get away with a short walk down the market street and back. It was dark but a few shops still had some candlelight.   
  
You pulled your hood up and set off down the cobblestone path. It appeared to be the one you and Levi had taken the first time you visited. A few stray cats were hanging around this time of night and you were happy to be in their company as you lost yourself in thought.   
  
Tomorrow you would approach Levi and ask him point blank if he was interested in you, then. You wouldn’t push him and if he was uncomfortable you would let him know he could still be your bodyguard and you would just let him go about the castle as he pleased. Your father didn’t seem to be too involved in your whereabouts and if you had to stay in your room primarily until this all blew over, you were happy to do so if it meant giving Levi that comfort.   
  
But what would you do if he returned your affection?   
  
If you had it your way, you wondered if you might commit to him. Learn everything about him and have him at your side as you ruled Eldia. He would be a voice for the people he championed even before coming to stay in the castle. You smiled as you played out the fantasy in your head.   
  
Nothing prepared you for the man that leapt out of the dark alleyway and directly in your path.   
  
His smile was grossly oversized in comparison to his face, teeth yellow from years of mistreatment. Size wise he was definitely larger than you but his limbs looked gangly and poorly controlled. You wondered if he had been drinking, backing up quickly before you could smell any alcohol on his person.   
  
“Sorry, must have walked further than I thought…” you mumbled out as you continued to back up.   
  
He darted toward you.   
  
You remembered Levi’s words. Try not to engage if you can avoid it.   
  
So you turned around and ran as fast as you could, adrenaline like ice in your veins as your eyes scanned for the telltale glow of the bar. You could hear him panting behind you, the sound feeling like it boomed over the stamping of your footsteps.   
  
He definitely wasn’t an assassin and you weren’t sure you liked that any better. If they weren’t planning on killing you, they wanted to rob you, or worse.    
  
Just as you were turning a curve in the road and the bar came into sight the tip of your shoe caught on a wayward stone and sent you toppling forwards onto your chest and forearms. You let out a small cry.   
  
He was on you before you could even try to get up. Something sharp pressed into your side and you mentally scrambled for what to do. None of your defensive techniques were for this situation. He didn’t grab you around the chest, you weren’t on your back, and he had you pinned using one of his knees.   
  
You tried to scramble forwards, kicking at him, but the blade in your side pressed into your skin and sent a bloom of pain across your body. It left you breathless but you were pretty sure it hadn’t even drawn blood.   
  
And almost as quickly as he had jumped on you, he got off. The pressure on your back lifted like a grace from god and allowed you to get to your feet and clutch your side.   
  
When you turned to face your assailant all you could make out in the dark were two figures. Undeniably the one of the man who had attacked you and someone smaller.    
  
The smaller figure wasn’t holding their punches. You could hear the crack of bones from where you stood as their fist connected with the man’s face, making you wince in sympathy despite everything.    
  
“Do you like beating up defenseless women, you piece of shit?”   
  
Your assailant fell to the ground and Levi kicked him in the side, sending him rolling across the cobblestone.   
  
“You’re lucky I don’t want to clean blood off my shoes,” he growled out before turning towards you.   
  
Relief washed over you like a wave but was quickly replaced with another wave of fear as he came storming towards you now.   
  
“Levi, I-”   
  
“Be quiet. Pull your hood back up and just  _ be quiet _ . We’re going home.”   
  
You didn’t argue, pulling your hood back up and covering a majority of your face. He wrapped his arm tightly around your waist, almost uncomfortably so. As you passed the bar you looked over, wondering if anyone had realized your absence yet and what they would do once they finally noticed.   
  
“I’ll have a guard notify them once we’re back so the idiots don’t start an investigation and wake up the whole town,” he bit out as the two of you shuffled past.   
  
You bit your lip, debating if you should say something or not. You wanted to apologize for making him come all the way out here to save your ass but you knew he had to have been following you for quite some time. A nervous smile grew on your face. Was he worried about you?   
  
Judging by his pissed off expression it was either that or he wanted to scream at you.   
  
The walk back was tense. Levi’s grip never loosened but it did give you some semblance of comfort knowing that the walk back, despite being nearly pitch black, was a safe one. You were surprised pretty regularly how often he was willing to touch you. Maybe it was just part of the job but you had seen him smack away the hands of guards for so much as reaching towards him.   
  
When you got back to the castle most of the guards didn’t pay you a second glance upon seeing two figures wearing kingsguard cloaks. You said a silent thanks that Levi was at least waiting until you got to your room before ripping into you.   
  
The second the door closed behind him you turned to look at him and winced as he took a deep breath.   
  
“You could have been killed.”   
  
“I know.”   
  
“Do you know that? Is that why you keep making dangerous decisions? Do you want to die?” he stepped forward and regarded you seriously and you shied away.   
  
“Of course I don’t. I just needed some fresh air. The bar was stuffy and-”   
  
You felt your back press up against the wall having not realized you had been backing up while Levi approached you.   
  
“And so you went for an evening stroll in the dark without anyone knowing.”   
  
“I know it was stupid, I just needed some time to think! There’s so much going on and the peace and quiet-”   
  
“Do you think people don’t care about you? That they wouldn’t worry if you were gone?”   
  
That one stung. The idea that Mikasa, Eren, and Armin would eventually forget about you once you were sent to Marley. The fact that when you returned you would be nothing to them but another stuffy royal.   
  
“Maybe. I’m just another princess. I was born a faceless royal and I’ll die a faceless royal to most,” you replied, your voice shaky.   
  
“Have you asked  _ anyone _ how they  _ actually  _ feel? Or have you been coasting by on assumptions?” he asked while leaning in, placing a hand against the wall to your side and invading your personal space.   
  
Something about the way he worded that was off. Like he wasn’t actually trying to insinuate towards a nameless group of peers but towards someone in particular. Your heart dropped.   
  
“And how do you feel about me, Levi?”   
  
It happened so fast you could barely react beyond gripping at his shirt for dear life. His lips were surprisingly warm against yours considering the two of you were still fighting off the chill from outside.   
  
The hand he didn’t have on the wall grabbed your hip and pulled you in gently. It seemed like he was still waiting for you to fully gauge the situation, waiting for you to open up to him so he could see what he was allowed to take.   
  
So you did.   
  
You’d be lying if you said you were a natural. Kissing him back felt  _ good _ though. You opened your mouth to him shyly and swiped your tongue along his lower lip experimentally.    
  
A small growl grew in his throat as you did so and he took what little control over the situation he could. His hands came down to your thighs and you readily jumped up into his grip, wrapping your legs around his waist and allowing him to maneuver you onto the bed. He threw you down on your back and rushed in, not wanting to break the kiss for long.   
  
Once again you could feel the heat radiating off of him, the position feeling familiar. Your own impatience was getting the best of you though as you bucked your hips up into him. He responded in fervor by grinding down into you, making you moan.   
  
It was becoming very apparent what was about to happen and your heart skipped a beat. You whined, not sure what you wanted or needed.   
  
Levi pulled away for a moment and you couldn’t help but admire the way his lips looked swollen and red from kissing and how his pupils were blown out in lust. You wondered how you had managed to be the one to do that to him.   
  
“Are you going to behave from now on?”   
  
“Yes,” you whimpered.   
  
“Yes,  _ sir _ .”   
  
“Yes, sir,” you said breathlessly.   
  
Right as he went in for another kiss the door slammed open and you could hear the scuffling of multiple feet. Levi sat up quickly but didn’t move from the suggestive position you were both in. He looked livid.   
  
You looked over and it was Armin, his eyes a mixture of scared and confused. Behind him was Jean and...Commander Erwin?   
  
“The king is dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I oop. So we finally reach the main plot line of the story. Only took us 7 chapters to get here. Thank you everyone for reading! Comments and Kudos appreciated!


	8. Red Handed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one has some very very mild depictions of violence, just a heads up!

You pushed Levi off of you and he moved with little protest. Even he looked dumbfounded despite almost always having been someone you thought to be one step ahead. A soft cry grew in your chest and eventually turned into a wail, tears already beginning to streak your cheeks and your throat constricting.  
  
Something was wrong, though. Jean, Armin, and Erwin all stayed in the doorway and didn’t move at all. The fact that Armin didn’t reach out to comfort you was confusing and only amplified the sudden hurt. It was actually Levi who reached out to act as your anchor.  
  
The second his hand touched your arm you turned and latched on to him, sobbing.  
  
“What happened?” his voice sounded far away.  
  
“I found him about fifteen minutes ago. He had requested my presence with this message,” the voice was unmistakably Erwin’s and judging by the way Levi shifted and the sound, he had handed over a piece of paper.  
  
“The eyes are bound in blood,” Levi read it aloud.  
  
You pulled away to look at the paper and then at Erwin.  
  
“What does that mean? How could they have killed him?! He was in the castle! He should have been safe!”  
  
Erwin continued to address Levi, his voice sounding ominous, “He was stabbed with a dagger, inscribed with the royal crest.”  
  
Levi’s gaze drifted over to the empty sheathe on your bedside table. You felt sick to your stomach.  
  
“You can’t really think I would have…?” you turned to Armin, eyes wide and frenzied, wondering how he could possibly have reached that conclusion. How any of them could.  
  
Armin looked like he was going to say something but Jean spoke up.  
  
“Armin said you didn’t want to get married. He said you would rather rule alone! That you were only getting married because of your father’s will! That’s why you killed him, isn’t it?! You didn’t want to get married so you figured if he died you could be queen of Eldia! So you used the dagger he gave you! You were angry with him,” he was quickly losing his temper and Levi pulled you closer whilst Erwin held Jean back.  
  
The blood in your veins ran cold. He was right. You had motive and the weapon was yours. It was already enough to incriminate you on that alone but…  
  
“Your highness, Armin and Jean tell me you left the castle walls and went with them to Stohess bar. That you left without anyone. Where did you go?” Erwin asked.  
  
“I was with Levi! I went to get some air and someone attacked me. He had followed to guard me in case anything happened and he took me home after!”  
  
Levi nodded to corroborate your story though his gaze never broke away from Erwin’s.  
  
“Did anyone see you once you got back to the castle and came inside? Did anyone see you enter these chambers? There is almost half an hour of time missing between when you returned and when we found the king’s body, which I might add, is still warm,” Erwin pressed.  
  
You gagged, your whole body shaking and the bile rising in your stomach. To hear Erwin speak about your father like that was too much.  
  
“Don’t be an idiot. All of you know exactly what we were doing when you entered,” Levi barked out.  
  
“Is that why you did it,” Armin finally spoke, his voice was shaking and he was obviously crying, “you didn’t want to marry Bertolt. We all knew you and Levi...but would you have killed him just because…?”  
  
“Why are they even here, Erwin?” Levi asked.  
  
“We were the first ones to notice her missing. Armin almost had a heart attack. I wouldn’t let him walk back alone so we ran all the way here looking for her, that’s when we ran into Erwin,” Jean explained.  
  
“I didn’t kill my own father!” you screamed, “maybe Marley did it! They don’t want an Eldian queen! So they send someone to kill father. That _has_ to annul the marriage agreement. Bertolt didn’t want this either!”  
  
Levi squeezed you tightly and you immediately realized you had fucked up with your angry outburst.  
  
“Exactly. Someone who wants out of a betrothal. They use their own dagger in a fit of emotional rage. They try to frame it on the opposing kingdom. Then when they become queen they can annul the marriage agreement and may do as they please from there,” Erwin explained.  
  
“Why would I use my own dagger?”  
  
“That’s the one thing we can’t seem to piece together. It seems detrimental to use something tied to you so personally. Perhaps it was symbolic. The dagger was a present from your father was it not?”  
  
“Y-yes but…”  
  
“So you try to use it, knowing we would question it just like we are now. Why your knife? Perhaps someone stole it to frame you. That’s what you want us to think. Your highness you are the only suspect we have. All guards were assigned externally to the ramparts and wall. No guards reported seeing anyone enter besides you and Levi. The only other people in the castle were the staff as well as Reiner and Annie. I’m sure once questioned, many of them will have alibis.”  
  
“Annie! Where is Annie? She’ll know...she’ll know I didn’t do this, please…”  
  
“Annie was assigned Reiner as her personal guard and has been operating as such since the time of your assassination attempt. When we discovered the body the two of them were in her chambers, sleeping. When we woke them Annie was distraught. We haven’t ruled them out as suspects but they have no motive, no ties to the murder that we are aware of, and an alibi.”  
  
Jean piped up again.  
  
“Plus, look at your arms. Your hands!”  
  
It was true, as you looked down at your hands you realized they had a couple of scrapes from landing on the cobblestone. The right sleeve of your blouse was ripped as well. They would think it was a sign of struggle with your father as you _killed_ him.  
  
“I...I fell…”  
  
You were absolutely wracking your brain now for any possible defense. The guards saw you enter but of course none would have seen you go to your chambers if they were all posted outside. The dagger was yours but it had been missing for some time according to Levi and no one had entered your room besides Annie, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. All of them had alibis.  
  
“There was an assassination attempt on me. Explain that,” you tried desperately.  
  
“They could have been completely unconnected. Just because someone tried to kill you doesn’t mean you wouldn’t do the same to your father as a means to an end. That or you could have conducted it yourself to throw us off your scent, already knowing you were planning for a future kill. Bertolt was attacked too yet uninjured. If we wanted to make a conspiracy play we could even insinuate you were operating under an agreement with Marley, even if it is unlikely.”  
  
There were no more straws to grasp at. You and Levi were going to be tried for this crime and you knew it. You looked to Armin desperately but he was looking away wide eyed and in disbelief. Jean and Erwin looked at the two of you stone faced.  
  
“Erwin, you know I won’t be locked up without a fight,” Levi said calmly. It wasn’t threatening so much as resolute.  
  
“We aren’t here for you,” Erwin explained.  
  
A cry of disbelief escaped you.  
  
“What do you mean?! He was with me the entire time!”  
  
“It’s true,” Levi said.  
  
“I’ve seen Levi’s handiwork,” Erwin’s voice was level, “and this was too sloppy. The dagger wasn’t his, either. Perhaps you commit the murder and you return to Levi so we can catch you in a heated moment to try to throw us off your trail yet again. The king showed no signs of being restrained. We have no reason to believe there was more than one killer.”  
  
“That’s reaching, especially if I’m supporting her story, ” Levi said.  
  
Erwin shrugged.  
  
“You’re partial. It looks like you’re emotionally involved with the accused. We can’t know you aren’t lying to us but we are certain you weren’t the one who committed the murder. We also have the note. The eyes are bound in blood? That obviously means the king knew that his killer was family. Of his blood. We can detain you until trial but we have no reason to send you to the dungeons.”  
  
“This doesn’t line up. Your claims are weak and I should be taken into custody as an accessory,” he hissed.  
  
“And I’m sure once this is brought to the council it will be looked into further and you can plead your guilt as vehemently as you like,” Erwin explained, “but I am just giving what evidence we’ve found and can piece together. Now if you don’t mind.”  
  
Erwin stepped forward and Levi stepped in front of you. From your position you could see him touch the holster to his own dagger underneath his cloak.  
  
Jean drew his sword clumsily, still under the influence of the alcohol he had earlier. Armin tried to grab him but was shaken off easily. It wasn’t until Commander Erwin raised a hand that he stopped trying to surge forward.  
  
Erwin stepped forward instead, pointedly getting into Levi’s personal space. Despite this he didn’t so much as look at Levi’s weapon or attempt to draw his own.  
  
“The dungeons have a draft. It comes from the end hallway, servant’s exit. You might want to bring a blanket for her the next time you see her,” he said under his breath, barely loud enough for you to register.  
  
You couldn’t see Levi’s expression but you couldn’t hide the horror on your own face as he stepped aside, giving Erwin the ability to approach you.  
  
“W-wait no! Levi! I’m innocent you know I am! I was here with you!” you cried out as Erwin grabbed your arm gently and began guiding you towards the door. Levi didn’t look at you.  
  
The castle already made you feel like a caged animal, but to be put into a literal cage? Half of you wanted to go limp and simply let them drag you to the dungeons but the other half was still trying to deny any of this was happening.  
  
Positive you were being betrayed on all sides, the bitter reality began to settle and shock took over. You stumbled a bit as you stepped through the doorway and looked at Jean and Armin.  
  
Armin refused to look at you and when Jean tried to touch his shoulder he pulled away roughly, his hands clenched into fists at his side. You weren’t sure what made you do it but you were pretty sure you didn’t want your last words to your best friend to be in anger.  
  
“Armin, it’s okay. I love you. I love you, I’m not mad. It’s going to be okay, you’ll see,” you tried desperately to comfort him despite being the one currently led into uncertainty.  
  
Jean stepped in front of him and blocked him from your view, crossing his arms and giving you a look that could kill. How ironic.  
  
“Jean, please take care of him…” you pleaded, ignoring his anger and hoping you could get your words across at the very least. The way his eyes softened for a moment let you know it was effective and gave you some semblance of peace amongst the turmoil.  
  
Your focus turned away from the two of them as you saw movement over Jean’s shoulder. Down the hall behind them you saw Annie and Reiner. Had they been listening the entire time?  
  
Annie was crying, stoic but with a trail of tears down each cheek. You saw her hand something to Reiner before turning around and walking away. It looked like a half crumpled piece of paper, the ink still wet judging by the black smudges you could just barely make out. Reiner watched you carefully but you couldn’t read the expression on his face.  
  
There wasn’t much chance to look at anything else beyond that before Erwin grabbed your shoulders and turned you the other way. Once you were out of hearing range from everyone else he whispered to you.  
  
“Who do you think the enemies are?”  
  
You found that you were too tired to read into his riddle.  
  
Erwin hadn’t been lying though when he said the dungeon had a draft. It was cold and the empty stone cells offered you little comfort. The only saving grace was that the Knight Commander treated you gently. It almost made you wonder if he believed you for a murderer. He didn’t restrain you, didn’t push you around, didn’t even look at you funny. If anything he seemed uncomfortable with having to go through with this entire process.  
  
When he opened the cell door he walked you in and looked around before leaning in to speak with you again.  
  
“You’ve gotten yourself into quite a predicament.”  
  
You sniffled in response.  
  
“There is no future for this kingdom that benefits her people without you on the throne. Annie doesn’t have what it takes to be queen and we will suffer for it. I will ask you this once and I will not repeat it outside of this cell. Did you kill the king?”  
  
“I didn’t kill my father,” your words came out venomous, “he wasn’t a great king, but I loved him.”  
  
“You need to find out who did.”  
  
“From inside a _cell_ , Commander?”  
  
He stood up and sighed.  
  
“Mikasa and Eren will be assigned to guard you…”  
  
“So you give a dog a bone? Let me live out my last days with my friends. Will you tell them of my _crime_ ?” you spat out angrily.  
  
“You’ll understand eventually,” he offered you a soft look and walked out of the cell, closing and locking it behind him.  
  
“I’ll understand when someone can give me real evidence that I killed my own father!” you shouted after him and slammed your face into the bars to watch him as he walked away, “when the person who actually killed him is brought to justice!”  
  
The cell smelt of rust and the metal was painfully cold against your skin, but you didn’t care. None of this made sense. How could they have jumped to this conclusion? Was Erwin in someone’s pocket? Were the guards? No, you refused to believe that.  
  
You eventually slid to the ground, head staying pressed against the bars of the cell. Though you tried to fight it, you found yourself falling asleep wishing Levi was there.  
  
When you awoke you were unsure of how much time had passed but Eren and Mikasa were already there. Mikasa was the first one to notice your eyes open.  
  
“Eren,” she nudged him.  
  
“Shit, you look like...shit,” Eren greeted you by kneeling down in front of the cell to be level with you on the floor.  
  
“You two think I’m a murderer too,” you hiccuped, tears already threatening to start spilling again as the sleep left your mind and the memory of the night’s events reentered.  
  
“No. But we don’t know who did. Armin had to call an emergency meeting. His job as steward, you know? It’s already being held. Or been held, we don’t know. Levi, Jean, and Erwin are all testifying as witnesses.”  
  
“In the middle of the night?”  
  
“You know how fast those old assholes can move when it has something to do with politics and the throne,” Eren grumbled, “besides it’s probably almost morning.”  
  
“And what happens to me?”  
  
“Either you are absolved of the crime and called in as a witness while they search for the real killer or...you’re found guilty. To be hanged,” Mikasa explained.  
  
Your hand came up to your neck and you gulped in fear.  
  
“But even they can’t think you’re guilty. It just doesn’t line up!” Eren chimed in.  
  
“Eren, it was her knife. She had a motive. They could go either way,” Mikasa said quietly.  
  
“I’m trying to make her feel better but thanks for the backwards progress,” he glared up at her.  
  
The dungeon doors opened and all of you turned to look. Levi and Erwin were entering but their faces were grim. That didn’t bode well for your neck.  
  
Erwin pushed past Mikasa and Eren.  
  
“You need to hurry,” he explained as he began unlocking the cell door, “they’ll be here in less than an hour. They want to get everything done quickly before there is any public outcry. They’ll put Annie on the throne by mid day in order to minimize the political unrest. You’ll be hung by nightfall. They want to indict Levi as well.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“We need to leave,” Levi said.  
  
Eren and Mikasa looked as dumbfounded as you felt.  
  
“Fugitive is better than dead,” Levi deadpanned as he grabbed you and pulled you towards him.  
  
“Fugitive? So I run away and then what? I live my entire life dodging the king’s men? Or the queen’s?”  
  
“No but the council sentenced you too quickly. We asked them for a few weeks to allow us to look at merchant records, to investigate the prior assassination attempts, and to turn the castle for a search in order to find anything we could to absolve you,” Erwin explained.  
  
“They felt it wasn’t ‘within the crown’s best interest’ to do so,” Levi cut in.  
  
“That’s not a trial, that’s just a sentencing,” Mikasa added.  
  
“They’re in someone’s pocket. Someone wants Annie on the throne but we don’t know _who_ or _why_ . Maybe Marley sees her as the weaker option of queen, easier to manipulate. Maybe someone within the castle already has their hands on her and intends to use her as a puppet,” Erwin continued.  
  
“No, not Annie. She’s smarter than that. She wouldn’t let herself be used, especially not by our father’s killer,” you exclaimed.  
  
“It doesn’t matter now. Someone wants you dead and they paid off the assembly. Probably some of the guards, too. We need to leave,” Levi put a blanket around you and then a cloak for extra measure, seeming like he was not only trying to warm you up but make you seem bulkier to anyone in passing.  
  
“We’ll search for evidence. Anything we can find in order to absolve you. Levi has friends on the inside to help us keep in touch. Isabel, the falconer, she can make sure none of the letters we send are intercepted so long as we don’t raise suspicion. The castle isn’t safe anymore. For any of us. We need to be on high alert,” Erwin began to flock you and Levi towards the end of the hallway. The servant’s exit.  
  
“Eren, Mikasa,” Erwin barked, “do you believe in her innocence?”  
  
Eren and Mikasa saluted and spoke in unison.  
  
“Yes sir!”  
  
As soon as they said that, Erwin punched Eren square in the jaw.  
  
“Ow, what the hell was that for?!”  
  
“We escaped. We overpowered all three of you. We can’t have them suspect you of treason.”  
  
Mikasa and Eren’s eyes widened as Levi chimed in to explain, as though they hadn’t even thought about the fact that helping you escape implicated them.  
  
“Now we don’t want you two to look too roughed up. It’s believable that you wouldn’t put up as much of a fight as Erwin. You probably wouldn’t even have bloodied knuckles. You’d be hesitant to hurt your friend,” Levi continued.  
  
Mikasa stepped up and leveled Levi with a look, rolling her shoulder back and readying herself. Levi leveled her with a gaze of respect in return and she nodded. He wound up and sent a punch across her cheekbone, causing her to stagger.  
  
“Wait, do we really have to do this?” you tried to step between them.  
  
Mikasa looked at you as she touched her face where a bruise was now blooming. You also noticed her eye beginning to swell.  
  
“To keep you safe...you’re the future of this kingdom. The opportunity for Eldia to find peace. The opportunity to be better than you father. This world is cruel but I will lay my life down to make it so others can keep living for hope of a better future.”  
  
You looked away, trying to tune out the sound of knuckles meeting their target. You were almost positive you heard bones cracking at one point and you tried to cover your ears. They were doing this for you, you didn’t deserve this. You weren’t their queen yet.  
  
When you finally turned around you covered your mouth with your hands. Eren had a busted lip, a bruised jaw, and a cut on his brow. Mikasa’s right eye was swollen and she had blood coming from her nose and mouth. But Erwin was the worst. You could barely look at him. His nose had obviously been broken and his whole face was painted with deep red that signaled the beginning of serious bruises.  
  
“I think you enjoyed that,” he laughed as he looked at Levi.  
  
“That’s for your shitty jokes,” he grunted.  
  
“Shitty jokes that became true,” he countered.  
  
Levi scoffed and reached out to you, only proving his point as he held you protectively. You hesitated as you looked down at his knuckles. He had obviously already cleaned off the blood but they were still bruised and split.  
  
When you looked up to meet his eyes they were determined. It gave you a glimmer of hope.  
  
There was only a split second you were able to wave goodbye to Eren and Mikasa, guilt washing over you as their bruises continued to grow and their cuts continued to bleed. They had done this for _you_ .  
  
“Hey, don’t die, okay?” Eren yelled after you while Mikasa waved.  
  
The servant’s tunnels you slipped into were cramped but you refused to let go of Levi’s hand as the two of you ran. Nothing was lit and judging by the walls practically crumbling in disrepair it was obvious that no one had used this exit in quite some time.  
  
When you finally did break free from the tunnels it was already becoming morning. You had less than twenty minutes of darkness, if that. Levi stopped for a moment to get his bearings, peering around the area as if deciding which way to go.  
  
“Where do we go from here?” you whispered.  
  
“Underground,” he said simply.  
  
You latched on to his arm as he began walking at a brisk pace. Merchants were already setting up for the morning, prompting him to pull his hood up.  
  
“We can’t go underground,” you hissed, “we won’t be able to get in contact with anyone. What if someone recognizes me down there? What could happen? We have to avoid the merchants guilds and The Wings of Freedom. Don’t I stand for everything they hate?”  
  
He was quiet for a moment as he took in your words.  
  
“We don’t have a choice. So, there are very few entrances and exits to the underground and most of them are guarded heavily by merchants to ensure no one is trying to smuggle goods in or out without their blessing. There is one way. A small abandoned building on the outskirts of town, that’s where we’ll go.”  
  
“And if they’ve discovered it?”  
  
“We figure it out.”  
  
You nodded and kept moving forward, not bothering to look at anything besides your own feet as you entrusted navigation to Levi. You were useless outside the castle walls. The sun was already getting higher and higher in the sky, washing the two of you in a swath of orange.  
  
It wasn’t long before you heard the yelling, then the sound of metal armor clinking as someone ran. You looked up at Levi in alarm but he remained as stoic as ever when it came to these situations. 

  
The yelling grew closer and as it did, so did the pace the two of you walked. They may not know where the two of you were but they would recognize your clothes if they got close and your face if they got closer. Your heart hammered in your chest.  
  
They were almost on top of you when Levi pulled you into a side alley and pressed you up against the wall, invading your personal space and kissing you.  
  
“Now hardly seems like the t-” you tried to protest but he simply brought a hand up to hold your jaw and pull you back in.  
  
Half of your brain was focused on how hungry you were for him. How all you wanted to do was get lost in him, pretend none of this was happening. Would you let him take you here? Against the wall where anyone could stumble across you?  
  
The other half listened in terror as the sound of the guards grew closer. Their footsteps reached the entrance of the alleyway and...ran past. They didn’t even stop to look at the two of you.  
  
Levi broke off the kiss and looked at you.  
  
“Public displays of affection are less likely to garner attention. They make people uncomfortable,” he explained.  
  
“Did it make _you_ uncomfortable?” you asked weakly, trying to be interested but falling flat. You were too stressed and emotional to want that kind of intimacy right now no matter how much you really _did_ want to want it. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense but neither did anything else going on in your life.  
  
Luckily Levi understood and patted you gently on the head before adjusting your hood and grabbing your hand. When you emerged from the alley you opted to go in the opposite direction which the guards had run.  
  
It was mid afternoon before you found the place he was looking for. A decrepit looking house that would have been easy to mistake for haunted if it wasn’t the middle of the day. Cobwebs adorned almost every window and the door hung off its hinges. The sight made you wince.  
  
“Are you sure this is the place?”  
  
“Come on. We aren’t done walking. There’s a large staircase that leads down.”  
  
“Gods, my feet are going to fall off before we can reach the bottom.”  
  
“Maybe if you ran as much as your mouth, it would go by quicker,” he said dryly, though he did offer you a nudge of encouragement before he attempted to ‘push’ the door open.  
  
Inside was just as bad as outside. Untouched and covered in dust. Levi seemed to be trying his best not to come into contact with absolutely anything. It looked as if it was some sort of abandoned shop rather than a house. Behind the counter was a trap door covered by a carpet. It took a couple good heaves on his end but it eventually opened, sending a cloud of dirt with it.  
  
“Come on,” he entered first and you closed the door behind you. It engulfed the both of you in complete darkness and sent a jolt of fear through your heart. You didn’t like the dark.  
  
Levi reached out and touched your forearm, nearly making you jump out of your skin.  
  
“Watch your step.”  
  
“I could use a kiss for good luck,” you said, trying to cover your discomfort with half assed humor.  
  
You weren’t expecting him to actually move up a step. In all honesty you couldn’t even see him, your eyes hadn’t adjusted to the lack of light. But you could hear him breathing and the rustle of his cloak as he stepped closer to you.  
  
You jumped yet again when he made contact with you. His hand touched your neck and slid up to cup your jaw. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t melt into it. Your eyes fluttered closed instinctually as he leaned in to press a chaste kiss to your lips.  
  
“We need more than luck, but if you ever want more, I’m willing to oblige,” he breathed out before beginning the descent, dragging you along with him.  
  
By the time you reached the end your legs were shaking and all you wanted to do was lay down and cry. The emotional stress now stacked with the physical was enormous and you had definitely walked for much longer than you had anticipated. The only thing that kept you going was the glow of light signifying your destination.  
  
When you finally broke away from the covered passageway and into the cavern you froze in place.  
  
It was, quite literally, an underground city. There were buildings almost as far as the eye could see and the other side of the enormous cavern seemed small due in part to the distance across. Everything was illuminated by the city lights below and the air felt stale and dry. Masses of people milled about, most looking haggard and in various states of disarray.  
  
Just from a glance you could also see many walking the streets carrying weapons. This was a place where ‘every man for himself’ was the biggest law. The king’s reach hadn’t applied here as much as he may have hoped it did.  
  
“Welcome to the underground, princess.”


	9. Kiss Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might notice some tag updates, most are for the next chapter but I wanted to get the ball rolling before I forgot, haha

You had thought the endless stairs were over but you still needed to make the descent down into the actual cavern. There was no stopping the exasperated sigh that escaped your lips as you pushed past Levi and continued walking. If you stopped for longer than a couple minutes you were positive you would collapse. Whether it was from exhaustion or sheer spite had yet to be seen.  
  
Levi followed close behind you, remaining quiet. You couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through his head right now. He had done this for _you_ and now here he was, forced to return to a place you were sure he didn’t ever want to see again. You couldn’t blame him.  
  
You made use of the silence to go through your thoughts again. It seemed you had been forced to do that a lot lately.  
  
Your dagger had been stolen, that much was obvious. Yet from there, everything was completely cold. Neither you nor Levi had seen anyone while walking to your chambers. Levi seemed intent on getting you ‘settled in’ for the night and your brain had gone completely blank the second he had been on top of you.  
  
“Stop overthinking it,” Levi said as he sped up his pace for a moment to match your own.  
  
“How can I _not_ overthink it? My father is dead, someone wants me to take the fall and was willing to get me killed for it. Now my younger sister, who might I add is nowhere near ready to be queen, is about to be put on the throne. As far as I’m aware I’m still engaged to a foreign prince and if I’m _not_ I’m sure that will fall to Annie to either clean up or act as my replacement,” you said, digging your nails into your palms as you clenched your fists.  
  
Levi was about to say something but you weren’t anywhere near done.  
  
“My best friend thinks I am a murderer. My other two friends are now bleeding and battered in a dungeon, having to pretend that I am the one who attacked them. Erwin is a complete mystery and I can’t even tell if he believes my innocence or is just too much of a bleeding heart to watch me hang.”  
  
Levi scoffed, “I highly doubt-”  
  
You stopped in your tracks and turned to him, pointing at him in a mix of frustration and confusion.  
  
“Then that brings me to _you_ , Levi Ackerman. You, my hired bodyguard whose job description was simply to keep me safe. Hired by my father the _king_ . Presumably he is no longer able to make good on whatever deal you two had. I’m sure you’re no longer obligated to be here but you were willing to risk your life to testify for my innocence. To help me escape. And I’m pretty sure you are _continuing_ to risk your life down here by dragging me along. I am dead weight. Expensive dead weight. If I don’t manage to get myself killed, I’ll get you killed just for being seen with nobility. So why?”  
  
He looked a bit taken aback, at least by Levi standards. It made you break into a nervous laugh, your emotions not having any better outlet.  
  
“Why what?” he had the nerve to ask.  
  
“Why are you here? Why not leave me in those dungeons? If you couldn’t prove your innocence why not escape on your own? Your survival rate would be exponentially higher, right?”  
  
“It would be.”  
  
“Answer me, please,” your voice faltered.  
  
“I can’t,” he replied curtly and then looked away.  
  
“Unbelievable,” you huffed out and turned around to continue your descent.  
  
It was a while before your feet finally hit the cavern floor. You were honestly just surprised you hadn’t managed to trip and take the ‘shortcut’ down. Probably would have been less painful than the awkward silence you were currently enduring.  
  
“Me, Furlan, and Isabel used to live down here,” he began.  
  
“I know.”  
  
“They told you,” he surmised quickly, “alright, then you probably know that we had to operate somewhere. We used to use a small house in the upper district before we left. It’s where we need to go, assuming squatters haven’t taken it.”  
  
“Alright, lead the way.”  
  
Despite the anger you had towards him for not being straight with you, the fear of your situation and being alone was more pressing. You reached out to him and grabbed his hand, lacing your fingers together. It was more intimate than any of the casual hand holding either of you had done recently. When you thought about it for a moment, you realized the only time the two of you had actually held hands was while you were running for your lives.  
  
To be fair, you were still technically running for your lives. You just couldn’t actively see the threat anymore. So if you wanted to play make believe that Levi and you knew where you stood emotionally and were just a normal couple holding hands? Well, things could be weirder.  
  
He gave your hand a soft squeeze. That was all it took to lift some of the weight off your shoulders and feel more at ease.  
  
Obviously he took the lead but he didn’t walk ahead of you so much as guided you gently through the streets.  
  
The people you saw made your heart break. They were supposed to be your people but they didn’t know you. They probably didn’t want to and you couldn’t blame them.  
  
Men and women would pass with crutches, barely able to walk without obvious discomfort. Children ran by with dirt staining not only their clothes but also painting their cheeks. They smiled and laughed but their happiness didn’t quite reach their eyes as they played.  
  
At one point you passed a brothel. The women sat outside in chairs doing their best to lure men in. Some passerby even had the audacity to try to get handsy with them without consent. It made your blood boil. Levi was quick to steer you away from them before you got yourself in trouble trying to accost someone. You wondered if you were that easy to read.  
  
You also wondered if one day you could actually make life better for all of these people.  
  
Of course you also had more stairs to go up eventually. The ‘upper’ district he had called it. In all reality it was barely better than whatever district you had just been in. The people here may not have as many holes in their clothes or use crutches but they looked worn down just the same as the others.  
  
A whine escaped you as you stepped up the stairs, your legs threatening to give out. You were pretty sure that the shock of everything was beginning to wear you down and with each passing moment you were growing more exhausted. You couldn’t keep coasting off the adrenaline.  
  
The top of your foot caught on a step and you tumbled forward. Levi caught you right before you became well acquainted with the ground. He didn’t say anything but did wrap your arm around his shoulders to help take some of your weight.  
  
“We’re almost there,” he offered.  
  
You didn’t reply and simply nodded off, letting your feet go on autopilot.  
  
When you did arrive it was about as unremarkable as you had expected. The door was unlocked and Levi had essentially propped you up against the outside wall while he did a sweep of the house. When it was deemed safe he brought you in and got you onto the bed.  
  
“Are we safe?” you asked.  
  
He leaned down and began unfastening your cloak for you.  
  
“You’re never safe down here,” he answered.  
  
Once the cloak was off, he removed your blanket and started on your tunic. It was halfway off before you grabbed his wrist.  
  
“Levi...I…” you looked up at him pleadingly.  
  
“Don’t worry. I’m getting it off so you can lay down.”  
  
You conceded and allowed him to take it off completely, still leaving you with a blouse. He then kneeled down to take off your boots. After he did so he ran his hands along your calves. Using his knuckles he began to massage your strained muscles there. A soft sigh escaped you and made him look up at you, checking to see if you were okay.  
  
Without thinking, you reached out to him and ran your fingers through his hair. It never ceased to amaze you that he seemed completely fine allowing you to touch him as you please. It probably shouldn't be considering what had happened in your chambers less than a day ago, but after seeing him nearly take off a soldier’s hand for less you felt your feelings were justified.  
  
If he leaned into the touch, well, that was something you could linger on later.  
  
“What are we going to do?” your voice was soft, barely a whisper.  
  
His gaze fell back down to your legs while he concentrated.  
  
“You get some sleep. In the morning we’ll go to the market and get supplies to send a message to Isabel so they know where to find us. Then we wait. They will have to give us information on where to start, what to look for.”  
  
“So my father’s body grows cold and all I can do is sit and hope that something will turn up that proves my innocence?”  
  
“Not quite that simple,” he tried to push back.  
  
“It feels like it. Levi, it was _my_ dagger. I never wanted to get married. I would have been perfectly happy as queen regent. Jean wasn’t lying and everyone in that room knew it. Armin will testify that I had suddenly taken an interest in politics after the betrothal was formally accepted.”  
  
“Give him more credit than that.”  
  
“What happened in the assembly room?”  
  
He let go of your calves and lifted your legs, forcing you to lean back as he brought them up to rest on the bed. There was a layer of dust on the bedspread that you couldn’t find it in yourself to care about but Levi was barely willing to perch on the edge of the bed as he spoke, eyeing the dirt wearily.  
  
He tried in vain to fix his hair that you had messed up while he spoke.  
  
“He did confirm it was your dagger but he was adamant that the motive was weak. Which it was. Let the entire assembly know that you had never shown actual animosity for your father. He also said that they couldn’t confirm when you left the bar which could hurt or help you, we don’t know. Didn’t bring anything up about his own personal beliefs but he didn’t seem very convinced.”  
  
A small spark of hope ignited in your heart. If Armin was on your side you knew there would still be a possibility of moving forward.  
  
“When they called me to the stand I told them everything,” he tutted in annoyance, “all because Erwin told me to be as detailed as possible. Let them know when you left and how I had followed you. That you were a dumb ass and got yourself cornered alone in the dark alone and how I brought you back to punish you accordingly. They stopped my statement right around when I got to explaining how you looked laying on the bed below me.”  
  
Your cheeks grew hot.  
  
“There’s no way we had time to do anything except get to our chambers, right? We couldn’t have made it to my father, much less...kill him,” you hesitated, not even liking the insinuation of your words.  
  
“We could have,” Levi admitted, “with the two of us? It would have been quick.”  
  
“I feel like I’m going to be sick.”  
  
“Lay down, it’ll make you feel better,” he pressed a hand to your chest and pushed you back until your head fell back onto the pillows. Something in your stomach stirred but puttered out as he looked away.  
  
As you lay there you couldn’t keep the anxiety from rising in your chest. The world you knew had come to a halt, if not ended completely. Your sister thought you murdered your father, your people would soon as well, and the only person you had right now to reach out to was someone you wanted desperately to never let go of. Someone who you still doubted had true feelings for you, or if they did they were unwilling to let them grow beyond lust.  
  
Eventually out of pure exhaustion, you fell into a fitful sleep. Your nightmares ranged anywhere from watching a nameless figure kill your father to actually seeing yourself do it.  
  
When you woke it was impossible to tell what time it was but you definitely didn’t feel rested. Everything here was lit artificially and had a dim yellow glow. You supposed it was at least comforting that you didn’t have to wake up in a strange place completely shrouded in darkness.  
  
As you sat up something felt wrong. Looking around the room it became clear that Levi was nowhere to be seen. You bolted to your feet and were about to yell until you thought about what the repercussions could be. Would he have left you? Was someone else in the house who would hear you? There was absolutely nothing around you to protect yourself with.  
  
Trying your best not to hyperventilate, you walked over to the front door and opened the door to poke your head outside. Perhaps he had just needed ‘fresh air’. As if that were a thing down here.  
  
“What the hell are you doing?” you heard from behind you.  
  
It probably should have startled you but all you could feel was immediate relief. He was still here, he hadn’t taken your words to heart and slipped out while you were sleeping. Everything would be okay.  
  
When you turned to look at him he had obviously been working on getting comfortable. His cloak was missing and the buttons on his shirt were open about halfway down his chest. If anything he actually looked a bit disheveled and you noticed his hair was even messier than when you had fallen asleep.  
  
“Were you sleeping?” you asked.  
  
“Tch, trying to. Until I heard you open the front door like an idiot. Close it,” he replied.  
  
It shut with a quiet click behind you.  
  
“I thought you left…” you whispered, feeling like an embarrassed child.  
  
“Why would I go through all the trouble of helping you escape just to abandon you in this cesspool?” he scoffed, “go lay back down.”  
  
“Where were you sleeping?”  
  
“Upstairs. I cleaned. Was going to move you but you needed to sleep.”  
  
“Can I go upstairs with you? Is the bed big enough?” you didn’t tiptoe around your words or the insinuation.  
  
The air in the room grew thick. Tense.  
  
“You’ll have to take off those clothes, they’re covered in dirt,” he said hesitantly.  
  
“Levi...please, I…” your words trailed off quietly as you looked at him. Something desperate clawed at your chest and you didn’t know what you wanted. What you _needed._ All you knew was that the thought of having him gone mere moments ago was enough to spur you into some sort of action.  
  
“Okay...okay,” he said as he approached you. Something in his eyes seemed to soften as he looked at you. He ran his hands from your shoulders down to your hands before taking them and stepping backwards, leading you gently.  
  
You didn’t hesitate to follow. If there was one person in this world right now that you would trust with your well-being, it was him.  
  
Once he reached the stairs he turned away but opted to continue holding one of your hands as he went up. Your body ached as you walked, begging for you to go back to sleep or at least rest. It was unfortunate that your brain didn’t seem to be on the same terms.  
  
The room had indeed been cleaned to the best of Levi’s ability. He had a candle lit on the side table and the covers were tossed about as if he himself had also been having trouble getting any rest. It wasn’t all that surprising. Even when the two of you had a relatively monotonous and peaceful life in the castle you could still only count on one hand how many times you had actually seen him sleeping.  
  
Most of your thoughts were cut short as he once again turned to regard you, grey eyes seeming to bore into your soul as he did so.  
  
“You’re going to be queen one day,” he said matter-of-factly, his voice quiet.  
  
“Maybe…”  
  
“You’ll do well. You’ll be busier than you’ve ever been but you thrive on that. Being helpful, feeling capable,” he continued.  
  
“Levi, this isn’t-” you started.  
  
“You’ll have to marry into nobility,” he got to the point quickly.  
  
It seemed your heart had been working overtime recently as it dropped into your stomach for what felt like the hundredth time in the past twenty four hours. Was he upset?  
  
“Yes,” you breathed out.  
  
He took a step closer, pressing into your personal space. Up close you could see the worry lines between his brows, the same ones you had once wished to smooth out. You wondered if he ever smiled.  
  
“This is a poor decision,” he said as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to your neck, sending a shiver up your spine, “and I need to know that it’s one you want to make.”  
  
You turned your head to give him easier access to your neck and he took advantage of what he was given, ghosting his lips across every inch of bare skin he could reach.  
  
“Yes I need...I need _you_ , Levi,” you whimpered out, having trouble putting the feeling into words.  
  
He let out a hum of agreement. That was all it had taken. He worked slow and intricately, unbuttoning every button on your blouse one by one before letting it fall to the floor. He didn’t seem surprised by your lack of chest covering but he did let out a pleasant noise of approval.  
  
Your hands came up to grip his shoulders and he in turn grabbed your waist to pull you flush against him. While this was happening he didn’t dare stop kissing you unless absolutely necessary, trailing from your neck down to your collarbone.  
  
“I thought you had left me. I thought you had finally realized that I wasn’t worth protecting. Just a would be queen who has no chance of changing. Of even becoming queen,” your words spilled out before you could stop them.  
  
“I’m not here because I want to preserve the royal line and I have no intention of leaving,” he stated simply.  
  
“Then why are you here?”  
  
“If you need me to stop at any point, tell me,” he made sure to say it in a way that solidified his need to make sure you feel comfortable, _safe_ . It also brought an end to the conversation.  
  
“Kiss me,” you begged, no longer caring about his answer. At least for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will contain explicit scenes! Just as a forewarning. 
> 
> Also, if any of you saw the new episode of season 4, please feel free to have an existential crisis with me over the fact that AOT is coming to and end. I am trying to fly through finishing the manga hopefully before the end of the season so wish me luck   
> ❁◕ ‿ ◕❁


	10. One More Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit content in this scene, just as a warning! It's an intentionally shorter chapter and can be skipped with minimal detriment to the story if you would like to do so. There will be some explicit content from here moving forward. I will try to give a warning in the notes when I can but they will not all be skippable via chapter, sorry in advance!

Levi was more than happy to accommodate your request, breaking away from your neck and bringing a hand up to tangle into your hair as he pulled you in for a kiss.  
  
You were surprised. The kiss the two of you had shared before had been like a wildfire, angry and looking to consume. This? This was much different. His lips were soft and pliable, wanting to touch and taste at his own leisure. A broken moan escaped you, the dam of emotions you had been desperately trying to plug was beginning to crack.  
  
It was as if he knew exactly what you needed. Maybe he loved you, maybe he didn’t, but the way he was holding you? The way he parted your lips with his and coaxed you to give yourself up to him? It was exactly what you needed.  
  
His tongue danced across yours, intoxicating and making your arousal build until you were rocking yourself against him in a desperate plea for relief. Yet he didn’t stop, seeming intent on making you come unraveled simply by this kiss. His free hand that had been on your hips had travelled down to grab your ass roughly. He pushed you into him, following the rhythm of your thrusts and helping you grind against his thigh.  
  
As much as you enjoyed this though, your legs were still shaky from earlier and you could feel them threatening to give out. You grabbed his shoulders to try to steady yourself but refused to stop rubbing against him. Levi could easily tell what was happening and he turned you around so your back was to the bed. Shuffling backwards was a bit awkward but he guided you the entire way, not breaking apart until your knees hit the mattress and buckled so you could fall back.  
  
He stood above you, his eyes trailing down your body languidly, like the two of you had all the time in the world  
  
“Ah, your pants are still dirty…” he hummed thoughtfully.  
  
Your voice was caught in your throat, unable to come up with a witty reply. Luckily he didn’t seem to be expecting one. He began to undo your belt and the button on your pants, simply allowing you to lay back and relax. When he was done he pulled them down and seemed more than happy to toss them off somewhere on the floor.  
  
“You’re beautiful, you know. Not just like this,” he leaned down and pressed a kiss just below your navel, “but in other ways. The way you close your eyes when you listen to the rain. The way your eyes light up when you think you’ve made a funny joke. Even the way you screw up your face when you’re writing an important letter. Beautiful.”  
  
Your chest grew tight. No one had spoken to you this way before and to have Levi saying it as if it were just a simple fact he had stumbled upon one day? Your chest heaved on a silent cry.  
  
His fingers slipped under the waistband of your underwear and pulled them down and off with ease. Your knees clamped together immediately, the situation making you suddenly feel quite shy about your own body.  
  
“No one has ever, I’ve never-”  
  
“Sh,” he hushed you and ran his hands gently along your thighs, trying to relax you before he separated your still trembling legs. You couldn’t help but notice how rough they were. Well taken care of, yes, but worn with time from extended use.  
  
When he did part your legs, he slipped between them and crawled up higher onto the bed so he was looming over you. He pulled you in for another gentle kiss before continuing down your body. Once he reached the center of your chest he placed one more long kiss there and then moved to the side, grabbing one of your breasts and taking your nipple in his mouth.  
  
You let out a little huff of surprise as he did so. It felt foreign at first, his mouth hotter than you were expecting. His tongue flicked across it, making you whimper and look down. You realized he was looking up at you with half lidded eyes, gauging your reactions. He nipped at the sensitive bud with his teeth, making your hips buck up off the bed. With a raised eyebrow he repeated the movement, spurring you to grab on to his shirt.  
  
He continued his ministrations for a moment before pulling away and gently blowing on your nipple, the cold air causing it to harden. He turned his attention to your other breast and did the same. At this point you were simply along for the ride as he worked you over, the noises falling from your mouth completely incoherent.  
  
You did try to return the favor, sliding your hand down his body and enjoying the hard curves and muscles. Right as you were about to reach the waistband of his pants he batted your hand away.  
  
You let out a desperate whine, wanting to know if you were affecting him as much as he was you. Wanting to _touch_ and to hold.  
  
“Do you...are you…?” you managed to finally get out.  
  
He seemed to understand and pressed himself against you, lining both of you up. If it hadn’t been for his pants you were positive neither of you would have been able to stop yourselves. His cock strained against the fabric as he rutted against your core, the friction making you toss your head back.  
  
When he pulled away he had a wet spot of your arousal drenching his front. He seemed amused, unbothered.  
  
“Ah, good girl. Already so wet for me,” he praised you.  
  
With less than a moment's notice he pushed you up the bed by your hips and laid down on his stomach, settling between your legs. As it dawned on you what he was about to do, you threw your arm over your eyes and tried to calm yourself down. The idea of Levi between your legs was almost enough pleasure in itself.  
  
Sensing your nervousness he rubbed small circles on your inner thighs with his thumbs and tried to drown it out with more arousal. You stiffened as he nipped at the soft skin between your legs, his teeth a surprising addition to the ways he was using his mouth. Once he felt you had relaxed enough for him to continue he lapped at your heat experimentally.  
  
His tongue felt like a brand. It was too much but not enough. It made your hips jerk involuntarily and he had to use a his free arm to hold you down. He didn’t give you reprieve, his tongue gently tracing up and down between your folds. Your thighs clenched tightly around his head but he completely unconcerned. When you looked down at him, you met his gaze. There was nothing but admiration there and the need to please you. It made you lose your breath.  
  
He explored everywhere for what felt like eternity but seemed to be avoiding the one spot that you desperately needed him to touch. That you ached for. There was no doubt he knew what he was doing. What was he waiting for?  
  
“Levi, I can’t...please... _please_ ,” you begged.  
  
That did the trick. His reaction was immediate and involved you throwing your head back again in a desperate moan as he pressed his tongue flat against your clit. His teasing already had you so close and with him sucking at you just right you could feel yourself reaching your peak.  
  
Judging by the way the bed was rocking and the sight of his hips moving as he grinded into the mattress, he must have been enjoying himself as well.  
  
“I’m-” you began but the second you spoke he seemed eager to take your breath away by letting out his own low groan. The sound mixed with the vibrations on his tongue had you slipping over the edge. Your eyes closed and your body tensed as he rode you through your climax, his tongue never stopping as he lapped you up. All you could do was gasp for air and cling to the bedsheets for dear life.  
  
Part of you expected it to simply move on from there. Your body felt loose and ready for sleep but of course you wanted to please him as well and the very thought was invigorating. As you attempted to sit up he pulled your hips down again, sending you careening back into the bed.  
  
“We’re not done,” he stated.  
  
He continued to keep one hand on your thigh as a means of comfort but the other he brought between your legs, sliding his middle finger into you up to the first knuckle. It felt odd for a moment, foreign and out of place, but he was able to continue with ease until he bottomed out inside you.  
  
It didn’t take long for him to find what made you tick. He thrusted his finger into you agonizingly slowly and curled it upwards as he pulled back out. Whatever he had hit made you see stars. You let out a small cry and he hummed in reply before slipping in his ring finger alongside the first.  
  
You were tight but the second finger felt even better than the first. As he continued to thrust into you with both he also continued to work you over with his tongue, giving you little to no reprieve from the pleasure coursing through you. With every curl of his fingers you came closer and closer to another climax. Your whole body felt like a bow string, ready to snap.  
  
“Again,” he commanded.  
  
As if on cue, your body complied. Your cry of ecstasy was loud and desperate. Your legs quaked and you gripped at the sheets once more in an attempt to ground yourself as you came again.  
  
But he still had plans for you. Using one arm he pulled himself back up the bed and laid next to you. His fingers still soaked with your cum, he brought them up to your mouth and you opened up willingly. You barely paid attention to your taste, focusing on swiping your tongue over his fingertip and sucking roughly.  
  
His eyes stayed locked with yours as you did so and you could hear his breath hitch.  
  
“Remind me to put that mouth to good use another time,” he growled.  
  
He pulled you close and kissed you. You were able to taste yourself on his tongue as well but all you really cared about was having him here, not letting him go.  
  
Once again his hand travelled between your legs and he slipped two fingers in with ease considering how wet you still were. His palm rested on your clit while he fingered you this time, the friction feeling wonderful.  
  
You brought your free hand up to slip under his shirt and touch his chest. Your hips gently rocked against his hand despite the fact that you were almost positive you couldn’t cum again. Yet here you were, pleasure building like a coil ready to spring.  
  
This one was slower, gentler. The two of you kissed lazily and lovingly.  
  
“One more time, princess,” he said when he broke away, his pupils blown and lips red from use.  
  
It came over you almost like a wave. It was soothing as you wrapped an arm around him and were able to keep him close as you shuddered through it. You moaned in his ear and he let out his own huff of pleasure at hearing you.  
  
“N-no more...I can’t…” you whispered, tears beading in the corners of your eyes as you came down from your orgasm.  
  
“You did wonderful, princess. I think it’s time for you to sleep,” he said as he took your head between his hands and made it a point to look into your eyes. His thumbs gently wiped away any tears that fell.  
  
You returned his look with one of desperation, not wanting to end the night before you could please him. That’s all you wanted, to prove you could be good for him. He pressed his forehead to yours and scoffed.  
  
“Alright. Come here.”  
  
He undid the button of his pants and pushed them down, then guided your hand to him. His length was bigger than you imagined, resting hot and heavy in your palm as you stroked it.  
  
Judging by his moan, you were doing something right. You reached between your own legs, gathering your arousal there and then moved back to his cock. He watched you with wide eyes and shuddered at the feeling of being slicked up.  
  
“I’m not going to last long,” he warned but you simply returned his statement with another kiss.  
  
Every stroke seemed to make him come more unwound. It felt nice to finally be able to have this effect on him after having spent so much time thinking your reactions were always one sided. Your stoic bodyguard melted at your touch.  
  
His kissing became messy and uncoordinated while the hand gripping your arm squeezed, gentle but firm. You sped up how you stroked him, adding a little spin to your wrist and occasionally running your thumb along the underside of his tip, earning you some absolutely delicious noises.  
  
“Your turn,” you whispered to him.  
  
He let out a breathy moan and pulled you close, burying his face into your shoulder and biting down. He spilled into your hand but you kept your rhythm up until you were sure he was done, wanting to have him feel exactly how he made you feel.  
  
He shivered and pressed a kiss to your forehead.  
  
“I’ll clean up. You need to rest, we have a long day tomorrow,” he stated simply.  
  
Something in you yearned to say it. The words had been building up in your chest for some time now. But seeing him in front of you like this, completely spent and tired, made you want to say them even more.  
  
Yet you couldn’t. Not now. Negative thoughts about the future loomed over your head again but as you watched Levi get up and come back with a wet towel to clean the two of you up, you forced yourself to push them away. You wanted to enjoy this moment for what it was, even if it would probably never happen again.  
  
As he ran the cold cloth over your body you relished in the way he looked at you. Calm and content. You wondered if he was as tired as you.  
  
He ended up taking off the remainder of his own clothes rather hastily, mumbling something about needing to wash them before slipping into the bed next to you and pulling the blankets up.  
  
The two of you lay there looking at each other for a moment. You finally had a chance to try to gently rub away his worry lines between his brows, even if he gave you a funny look for it. Levi _did_ look worried though the longer the two of you lay there, like he needed to say something but thought better of it. Neither of you seemed keen to dwell on your thoughts tonight. When you rolled over to get comfortable he pulled you close against his chest.  
  
You couldn’t stop the onslaught of tears as the love you felt for him came crashing over you. His arms were strong and made you feel safer than any castle wall ever could. You allowed yourself to imagine what it would be like, to be someone who could make him happy, someone who could give him the life he deserved.  
  
Was being queen worth losing something so important?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to go with a more gentle approach. The reader at this point is an emotional wreck who just needs someone to care for her and Levi definitely steps up to the plate. (o^^o) Also just a heads up, I know I update pretty quickly but the next chapter may not come until next Monday. I'm moving around a lot this week with work and home stuff but I'll make sure that this fic is not left on the back burner.


	11. Emotionally Stunted

Morning was marked only when you finally decided to wake up, the artificial light of the underground doing your internal clock absolutely no favors. The second you were conscious you became aware of just how exhausted you still felt emotionally and mentally. Your muscles still ached as well thanks to the endless staircases you had conquered the day before.   
  
Yet even with your muscles absolutely screaming and your head pounding as you tried to file through everything that had happened over the last day, one thing managed to bring it all to a halt. A small rustle under the covers at your side caught your attention and when you rolled over you were greeted with a sight you wanted to etch into your memories forever.   
  
Levi looked up at you with half lidded eyes, his head still rested on the pillows and his frame draped lavishly by the blankets. The best way to describe him was content. It was nearly impossible to stumble upon him while sleeping so to see him sleep drunk and barely awake lying next to you was like a fantasy sprung to life.   
  
As you searched for something to say to him, anything to let him know just how happy you were to have him still next to you, he beat you to it. He reached his arm out to tangle his fingers in the hair at the nape of your neck and pull you into a kiss.   
  
It was lazy, uncoordinated, and damn near perfect. The only thing he cared about was claiming your mouth with his own and enjoying the feel of your lips.    
  
When you finally broke apart you felt like you were once again putty in his hands.   
  
“Thank you,” you finally managed to whisper out as you instigated another kiss, this one chaste in an attempt to get across your meaning.   
  
“You don’t need to thank me, princess.”   
  
“I do. For everything. For saving my life, for bringing me here, for letting me know I’m not alone,” you whispered as you cupped his cheek in your hand.   
  
“I told you, I don’t plan on leaving,” he said passively.   
  
“What if neither of us had to leave,” you said wistfully, “and we just stayed here forever, in this bed?”   
  
“Is that what you want?” he asked, as if he was offering.   
  
For once you let your mind wander to a pleasant place. You allowed your imagination to paint the walls of this dilapidated house. Perhaps it was a cottage surrounded by wildflowers. A shop on the riverside where you could always hear the rushing water.   
  
“It is,” you said selfishly, “but we can’t, can we?”   
  
“You control the decisions you make.”   
  
Reality was painful and unwelcome. The thought of your father dying alone, with no one to comfort him during his last breaths, came to mind. As soon as it passed it was replaced with the terrified look on Armin’s face as he watched you be taken away by Erwin. Then it was Mikasa, Eren, and Erwin all sitting there, battered and bruised in the castle dungeons in a desperate ploy to keep you from the hangman’s noose.   
  
“And the decisions everyone made to keep me safe?”    
  
“Theirs to make. They can’t control what you decide to do with your second chance,” he said as he propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at you.   
  
“Would you stay here?”   
  
“No,” he replied honestly.   
  
It made your heart twinge but you understood. This was like walking back into hell for Levi, based off of his reactions towards everything down here that you’d seen so far. You hadn’t missed the way his eyes had scanned the crowds or how his pace picked up at certain street corners yesterday.   
  
“Then I suppose that’s my answer,” you said stoically as you pushed yourself up and out of bed, ignoring the headache that settled in behind your eyes.   
  
The cold nipped at your skin but helped you to wake up. Judging by the rustle behind you, Levi had followed. You could hear him shuffling around the room and when you looked over you weren’t surprised to see him cleaning up both your clothes from last night.   
  
“I’ll take care of these, you need to write a letter to send to Isabel. There’s paper and ink downstairs,” he tilted his head towards the staircase to emphasize his point but you couldn’t help but get distracted by how amusing he looked with bedhead.   
  
You stepped away from the bed and made it a point to stretch, bending down to touch your toes in an attempt to loosen your back muscles and hamstrings. Knowing that Levi was watching was an added benefit.   
  
All it took was a small wiggle as you headed towards the stairs to get a reaction out of him.   
  
“Tch, behave yourself,” he said half-heartedly, the command having little to no push behind it.   
  
You didn’t reply, opting to make your way downstairs as quickly as possible to gather your supplies. Once everything was bundled against your chest you hustled back up the stairs and winced as your muscles argued with you for even daring to inconvenience them with more steps. Unfortunately for them you weren’t planning on being any further from Levi than you needed to be.   
  
Gathering the supplies had been the easy part, though. Writing some covert letter now that you were a fugitive of the law? There was something appealing about the risk of it all but that was drowned by the fact that you knew any mistake you made could cost you or any number of people their lives.   
  
The letter would be meant to end up in Erwin’s hands but you decided to address it to Isabel who would likely be the first person to actually read it. That and she would definitely screen it for validity before passing it on.    
  
You bit your lip in thought as you began writing. It was a short letter that simply stated you and Levi were safe without naming names. Giving your location was what forced you to pick your brain a bit more. Isabel and Furlan had run with Levi long before he met you. It sounded cliche but you opted for ‘the place where your deepest, darkest memories are reality’. It might be a shot in the dark but you had to give Isabel credit. If she could put up with Levi all these years she probably had to learn to read between the lines.   
  
Now, to prove you were who you said you were. You pressed the tip of the quill you were using to your chin, accidentally dotting your skin with ink before you could catch yourself. Levi let out a scoff and you turned to see him sitting on the bed, leaning back on his hands and watching you with a predatory look. Your cheeks flushed and you turned back to the letter, suddenly remembering the conversation you had with Isabel the first night you met her in the tavern.   
  
What had Isabel and Furlan insinuated about you and Levi? Oh, right.   
  
You signed it off.   
  
_ We’re taking our time settling in.  _ _   
_ _   
_ After finishing up you fanned the paper impatiently so that you could get it rolled up and tied off as soon as possible. Before you had the opportunity you found yourself freezing up. Levi’s gaze on you had already been intense enough but the overwhelming presence he had once he was in your personal space was enough to make you hold your breath.   
  
His hands came to rest on your shoulders as he leaned forward over you to presumably skim over the letter and make sure it lived up to his expectations.   
  
What you  _ weren’t  _ expecting was the heat of his tongue as it traced up your neck painstakingly slowly, ending with a gentle bite right at the pulse point under your jaw.   
  
You crossed your legs and let your head fall back against his shoulder, your fingers clutching the seat of your chair in a desperate attempt to keep your hands to yourself.   
  
“We have some time before the ink dries. Before our clothes dry…” he said, barely moving away from your neck, his breath blistering compared to the chill of the room.   
  
“Levi…”   
  
“I like when you moan my name, princess…”   
  
_ Want  _ was at the forefront of your mind but something nagged at you. A small voice of reason cut through the fog, unwelcome but necessary.   
  
“We can’t,” you gasped out as one of his hands broke away from your shoulder and splayed out across your chest.   
  
“We aren’t in any rush,” he countered, not seeming to get your reasoning as he continued.   
  
In an unforeseen ploy to get his attention, you blurted the first thing that came to mind.   
  
“Will you marry me?”   
  
It was his turn to freeze. To his credit he didn’t immediately pull away like you had expected. He did stop kissing your neck and sat up a bit, looking down at you and making it a point to keep eye contact.   
  
“Don’t be an idiot. What are you talking about?”   
  
“You can’t say yes, can you?”   
  
“What?” he repeated himself.   
  
“You said it yourself, Levi. I’m betrothed.”   
  
“That didn’t seem to stop you last night,” he said quizzically.   
  
“No, but am I wrong? Levi I...can’t pretend this isn’t going to end badly if we keep going. I’m royalty and you’re not,” you started but quickly backtracked when you realized how awful that sounded, “and you would never want to be, would you? Can you imagine yourself as, what, prince consort? Or worse as my  _ paramour _ ? I’m not what you want. What you need.”   
  
The words hurt you more than you would admit. He didn’t love you, you were sure, but you were catching feelings quickly and if you gave in to your wants it would just break you and put Levi in a messier situation than he deserved.   
  
“Prince consort? Paramour? What does that have to do with right now? I’m not the one who just proposed marriage.”   
  
He was dangerously close to you. A few inches and you could close the gap. All you had to do was act.   
  
“You don’t need me to say how I feel,” you decided to lay your hand on the table.   
  
“Is this about needing to be married to make the decisions you want? To sleep with who you want? You don’t need that. As far as I’m concerned you have every right to storm that castle and claim yourself as Queen Regent.”   
  
“But I can’t and it’s not  _ just  _ that,” you retorted.   
  
“Do you bow down to the same nobles who would have hung you without so much as blinking?”   
  
“If that means I can make change, yes. I would sacrifice everything, Levi. All of it. If it means making a better life for the people above  _ and  _ below us, I would play any game they deem necessary. But I also can’t torture myself by ignoring my feelings. My misery would only compromise my abilities.”   
  
“And that means…”   
  
“That I have to walk a thin line between what I want and what I can have. You aren’t going to rule at my side, even if I asked. ‘It is better to have loved and lost’ is bullshit. I don’t want to taste what I’ll never be able to have again.”   
  
“You have a lot to learn before you become queen. Assumptions in your line of work don’t bode well.”   
  
“Well right now they’re all I have.”   
  
“And if they’re wrong?”   
  
“Are they?” you dared him to say the words, the ones that might make you change your mind. The ones that might help you steer through some of the most important choices you had moving forward.   
  
His silence was all the answer you needed and it spurred you to sit up, careful to avoid bumping into him as you did so. He stayed leaned over the chair in thought while you rolled up the letter, smudging some of the ink in your haste.   
  
“I promised you I wouldn’t push and I won’t. If things were different…” you wrung the parchment between your hands with a sigh, “if things are ever different, I’m here. I can’t force you to make the same choices I have to make.”   
  
Before he could respond, if he even planned to respond, there was a knock on the door. It made both of you tense up even more, if that was even possible.   
  
Levi was in action before you had even really registered what had happened. It became quickly apparent why a knock on the door would be alarming as you watched Levi pulling on his still damp clothes. It took another second of blinking in confusion before your brain caught up and you raced to get dressed as well.   
  
He was already slinking down the stairs with his dagger in hand by the time you were getting your pants buttoned, struggling to get your foot uncaught from one of your pant legs. It didn’t stop you from following after him and cursing under your breath with every hop.   
  
At the bottom of the stairs he held up a hand and motioned for you to stay out of sight. The door would open in a way that blocked the staircase from view but allowed you to still hear the conversation. For once you decided not to argue or say anything sarcastic and simply pressed up against the wall obediently.   
  
His attention was undivided as he padded up to the door in complete silence, managing to avoid making any of the floorboards creak. They knocked again, harder and more aggressive this time.   
  
Levi caught them mid knock as he threw the door open and thrusted forward, presumably holding his blade to the assailant. You wished desperately to be able to see but remained glued to your spot.    
  
It was Levi’s reaction that made everything ten times more stressful. His eyes widened ever so slightly and his jaw tensed as if he was grinding his teeth. It was obviously someone he recognized but he didn’t seem too excited to see them. His gaze flickered over to you for one anxious moment before returning back to the doorway.    
  
Something told you that you weren’t as safe down here as you thought you were.   
  
“Yo, Levi. One of the kids told me they thought they saw you come in through the back. Told them they were blind. Looks like I’m eating my words, huh?”   
  
The voice behind the door was raspy, definitely someone older. They weren’t familiar to you in the slightest.   
  
“Kenny…”   
  
“Well I’ll be damned, you even remember my name! Thought that once you ran off with that Knight Commander you’d never show your face around here again. Probably forget all about us,” Kenny, presumably, laughed.   
  
“That was the plan,” Levi managed to hiss through gritted teeth.   
  
“Then why are you here, kid? Get tired of being a lapdog for some shitty royals? Heard you even managed to land a job in the royal palace. Whose ass did you kiss for that one?”    
  
A small surge of fear ran through you as you saw a hand wrap around the edge of the door, now the only visible part of this man you could see. Based off of the placement, he was much taller than Levi.   
  
“You got it all figured out, Kenny. I decided to come back to this shithole just to see you,” Levi deadpanned.   
  
“Aw, no need to get short with me. Though I guess it wouldn’t exactly be hard for you,” he laughed as if he had made the funniest joke in the world. Judging by some of the quiet snickers you could faintly make out, there were at least two other people with him.   
  
“What do you want?” Levi cut through the laughter with ease.   
  
“Well that’s the thing. We want  _ you _ . You show your face here and I have to put a leash on you to make sure the nobles aren’t riding my ass.”   
  
“No.”   
  
“I wasn’t asking. You want to run down here again, it’s with us. If I have to take the heat from those pricks then I’m going to get my money’s worth.”   
  
“And?” Levi was doing well at sounding wholly uninterested.    
  
“I’ll give you a day to think about it, then. If you don’t come up with the right answer then it’s going to be a real short conversation, if you understand what I’m saying.”   
  
“Are we done here?”   
  
Kenny leaned in and you could just barely make out his mouth and nose as he pressed into Levi’s personal space. The majority of his upper face was shielded from view by a hat of some sort.   
  
“Yeah, and tell that sweet thing you’re travelling with that I said hello,” he smirked.   
  
Levi slammed the door in his face hard enough that you could hear a crack when it collided. There was a string of profanities from the other side but no one seemed to make any effort to reopen the door or claim justice for what was probably a broken nose and  _ definitely  _ a wounded ego.   
  
Once he was sure the door wasn’t opening again any time soon, Levi took a few uncharacteristically unsteady steps backwards. You bolted towards him and grabbed his arm to make sure he was alright, but curiosity got the better of you.   
  
“Who the hell was that?”   
  
“That...is a man who would sell you to the highest bidder if he knew who you were.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I rewrote this chapter like 4 times lol but here we are! Sorry it's a bit later than was planned. I've got some cutesy Christmas one shots lined up for the next week and a half as well if anyone wants to pop over and check them out as they're posted.


	12. Uncertainty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I think I bit off more than I could chew trying to work on this and another piece haha but here we go! I ended up adding another small plot arc that'll probably only span a couple extra chapters because I waned to add a little more to the story for Levi.

Levi looked over to you, trying his hardest to muster a passive face to keep his own stress from bubbling over and affecting you. Judging by the face you gave him it didn’t do jack shit. Everything was only made so much _worse_ by the fact that neither of you could find it in yourself to reach out for physical comfort after the argument that you had moments ago. After everything with Kenny though it might as well have taken place a decade ago. Even her hand grabbing his arm felt like a hot brand.   
  
He sighed, spurring you to grip his arm tighter. He tried not to meet your gaze, unsure of how to best approach his feelings to this whole situation. Anger was at the forefront of his mind, half tempted to walk back outside and track Kenny down so he could effectively stomp him into the pavement for even daring to _insinuate_ he’d hurt you.   
  
“Sell me?” you said, voice strangled in a mix of fear and confusion.   
  
He clenched and unclenched his fists, too many thoughts going through his head about what Kenny might do to you or the reason any number of people might want to _buy_ a woman. In the back of his mind a wretched little voice reminded him of his mother and the visceral fear that took hold of him at the idea of you suffering the same fate made him want to grab you and disappear forever. Forget nobility, forget reality, forget the arranged marriages and line of succession.   
  
“Don’t be naive. You know why someone would buy you. Marley would drop thousands to get rid of you. Merchants? You’d be a bargaining chip. Even the chamber of nobles may offer something in order to see you swing at the gallows. Not to mention if some rich John decides to waltz in and just happens to have the coin to spare on a ‘sweet thing’ as Kenny put it.”   
  
Part of you balked at the fact that he had made air quotations around ‘sweet thing’ but now really didn’t seem like the best time to get caught up on that kind of detail.   
  
“So what do we do? We have to get out of here.”   
  
“No shit. We’ll send the letter to Isabel with some... _revisions_ . Let her know barebones that we’re here in this shit hole and try to figure out a way to clue her in that Kenny is on our tail. That should get her to spur Erwin’s ass into gear. She knows what he’s like. Who he is.”   
  
You released Levi from your grip, not enjoying the cold fear that gripped you the second the connection was broken. In reality you had grown to associate him with safety and comfort but you were going to have to start making those for yourself. He was just stepping away to head up the stairs when there was another knock at the door. It startled the both of you but this one was softer, hesitant. As if the person wasn’t even sure they had the right place.   
  
Levi was timely about drawing his weapon and prowling back to the door, irritation from the inconvenience written all over his face as he swung the door open again.   
  
“What- oh.”   
  
His shoulders dropped in relief, giving you the ability to do the same after not realising just how tense you were. It was definitely a friend on the other side of the door but now it was just a question of who. Two people stepped forward, one taller and with their hood pulled up and the other with a shock of blonde hair and familiar bright blue eyes.   
  
“Armin?” you managed to choke out, knots forming in your stomach as you did so. Half of you wanted to run up to him and hug him, beg him for forgiveness for ever getting him into this mess. The other was scared that if you went anywhere near him he would bolt and put as much distance between the two of you as possible.   
  
When he looked at you, you knew.   
  
And you flung yourself into his arms with a broken sob. Seeing him was overwhelming and brought back all the emotions that you were trying to bottle up. Grief for your father was at the forefront of the flood but the fear of never seeing your best friends, of everyone thinking you were a murderer? Those were the ones that were currently haunting you like an ever persistent thorn in the side.   
  
“I’m so sorry I doubted you,” he began while rubbing your back and letting you all but shatter in his arms, “and for thinking you would ever do something like that. It was obvious after the assembly that some of the nobles had been paid off. No one wanted to hear what we were saying. Things weren’t adding up and then they told us they were going to _kill_ you. I couldn’t…” His own words began to falter, a lump building in his throat.   
  
Erwin’s voice only brought even more solace as his familiar tenor rang out. “Isabel and Furlan seemed very adamant that they knew you’d be down here, that it was the only place we wouldn’t send the Kingsguard right away. They were right. We can avoid sending our forces here for at least a week while we search the kingdom. It’s always a last resort to send officials down here for fear of how the public will react to us.”   
  
“Listen, Erwin, make sure you tell Isabel and Furlan they can’t come back down here. You don’t send them with messages, supplies, anything. If they get seen they’ll either be killed or grabbed.” Levi’s voice wasn’t pleading but it did have an air of worry behind it that you hadn’t heard before coming from him.   
  
“Kenny,” Erwin said resolutely, catching on immediately. “Then we need to get you two out of here as fast as possible. Does he know about the princess?”   
  
Levi looked over to you for a moment, his emotions unreadable to you but apparently not to Erwin as he let out a small sigh of exasperation.   
  
“So immediately is now. We have an old guard base down here that has been untouched for a few years. We send a regiment down every few months to clear it from squatters and make sure it doesn’t get used for smuggling or gang activity. You can stay there. We can take you there now.”   
  
“No!” You surprised yourself at how urgently you yelled out. “We can’t. Kenny probably has eyes all over this place by now waiting for us to make our move. He seems pretty stupid but not inept.”   
  
Your words earned you what you hoped was an amused snort from Levi.   
  
“He knows that there are only two outcomes. That Levi tries to bolt in some way to avoid him and his hounds or that we stay where we are and Levi is forced to join up with him. He gave us a day before we had to make a decision but we’d be idiots to think we’re not being watched and that he isn’t being told about everything we do…”   
  
After you had finished speaking Erwin leveled you with a pensive look. It made you clutch on to Armin tighter, not particularly loving the Knight Commander’s track record when it came to bodily harm being used in whatever plans he managed to brew up.   
  
“So what would you have us do, Princess?”   
  
You stammered in surprise, unsure why he would defer to you for a plan when you felt like you were the least adept in the room. What _would_ you have everyone do?   
  
Armin offered you a comforting squeeze that simultaneously helped you calm down and clear your thoughts. It would be risky but it might work. It was the only thing you could do besides waiting like sitting ducks.   
  
“Erwin, how fast can you travel between here and the castle?”   
  
“It’s about a two hour round trip if we move quickly and use the main entrance. Three if we use the one that I’m assuming you and Levi entered, the one that isn’t actively under observation by the military or merchants.”   
  
“You won’t need to use the back entrance. You can use the main one. Operate under the guise that you’re coming here to search for me. It’ll tip off the merchants that I may be down here but it was bound to happen anyways if Kenny was already tailing us. It’ll just confirm everything a bit quicker but by then we should hopefully have me hidden again.” You were trying to form the plan as quickly as possible, your mind jumping back and forth between the possible pitfalls you would run into and what the end goal was.   
  
“We just need to buy ourselves some time. Bring Mikasa and Eren. We’ll split into teams of three. Armin, Mikasa, and you on one. Then Levi, Eren, and me on the other. Eren is about your height and Armin is about Levi’s. Mikasa and me...well, I doubt Kenny was looking at me that much when I was next to Levi. He probably already forgot how tall I was. On top of that I had a cloak and a couple layers on.”   
  
Erwin had been nodding along quietly while Levi simply stared at you in surprise of your initiative. “So you want to try to do a bait and switch of some sort or?” Levi asked.   
  
“We make sure Erwin’s face is seen by Kenny when he leaves. It’ll give them a pause. Knight Commander down here? He won’t assume it’s because of me but because of you. When he comes back with more we just make sure they can see his face the entire time, even when he leaves the second time. Everyone else will cover theirs. He’ll assume you’re with him. He has no reason to look at me at all so he’ll go after that group and send his goons to tail us.”   
  
“And if they try anything?” Armin gulped.   
  
“Erwin is Knight Commander, they won’t try anything on him. If they do, Erwin and Mikasa can take them easily. Then they’re screwed because they’re being arrested. If they come after me and Levi then...well, Levi and Eren know how to fight. It might get messy but I trust them with my life,” you explained.   
  
“And if Kenny’s lackeys follow us and find out about our new location?” Levi spoke this time, forcing you to finally look over at him and meet his gaze for the first time since you had been caught up in building your plan.   
  
“We just need to lose him. You’ve proven to be very _persuasive_ at coming up with spur of the moment plans to avoid being noticed.”   
  
Even after the flame between the two of you had seemingly been extinguished, something about his look made a jolt of arousal course through you. It was the kind of look that let you know _exactly_ what he was thinking about. Your hands came up to touch your lips as you remembered the alleyway kiss. Based on his half smirk, he did too.   
  
“I know a place we can lose them. I won’t say it for now, sorry Erwin. If you do manage to get caught up by Kenny it’s better you don’t know until we can confirm everything went off without a hitch,” he looked to Erwin with a blank face, nothing in his tone particularly matching his apologetic statement. Erwin simply shrugged a shoulder, unphased.   
  
“Alright so that just leaves us to double back and get the other two. Armin, you should stay here. Explain what we’ve found out so far, plus I’m sure there’s definitely some...emotional baggage to sift through,” Erwin ended with a joking tone but he wasn’t far off the mark. Having Armin with you was a level of happiness you didn’t know you were still capable of outside of perhaps being in Levi’s arms. Unfortunately for you that was soon to be an extremely uncommon occurrence if this morning was anything to go by. Your heart sank just a fraction.   
  
“Yes sir!” Armin huffed out making Erwin wave him off for such a formal tone.   
  
Erwin offered all of you a nod. All of you moved away from the door so that no one would be able to see you as he stepped out and closed it behind him. The tension in the air became palpable. Armin was obviously aware of the dynamic between you and Levi but to what extent? Levi didn’t know Armin particularly well but he trusted him and as far as you were concerned you were now in a room with the two people you loved most. Both of which were still trying to figure out their feelings towards you. Less than a day ago Armin had presumed you for a killer and less than a night ago Levi had been forced to come to terms with the fact that you had unrequited feelings for him.   
  
What a mess.   
  
Armin was the first to speak and break the ice. “We were able to investigate the, er, crime scene after everything. We found something out but the chamber doesn’t seem too worried about it. There was...well, there was poison on the blade that was used. We tried to trace it back to you but the trail was cold. But we noticed something else…”   
  
His fingers came up to touch your cheek gently, thumb running across the only recently healed wound from your own assassination attempt. You looked at him curiously, taken aback by the intimacy of the touch. Armin’s eyes met yours before dropping to the now scarred mark.   
  
“This healed a bit strange didn’t it?” He asked you, not pulling away as he examined you. It was true what he said. Though it was now fully healed the wound had scarred in a way that you hadn’t expected from a simple cut. It was a deep color that had yet to lighten and was hypertrophic, like it had been unable to regenerate tissue normally and overcompensated, leaving it raised as opposed to indented. It was small enough that it hadn’t bothered you much and you had even thought it was a little...badass. It sounded silly but you didn’t mind it.   
  
“I figured it was just the way the arrow-”   
  
You were cut off suddenly by Levi who covered his face with a hand and let out an angry growl at the fact that he hadn’t even realized, “It’s poison. The arrow had poison.”   
  
“Yeah. But we never found the weapon so we wouldn’t have known or been able to tell what kind. When we mentioned it to the chamber they brushed it off. ‘Two completely different circumstances’. That’s when me and Erwin realized that some of them had to have been paid off. The ones that swept it under the carpet were some of the most senior members so their juniors didn’t say a damn thing,” Armin pulled away and clenched his fist at his side. It was strange to see him so angry and you soon found yourself reaching out to soothe him.   
  
“So whoever framed me was the same person who tried to kill me. That and they have access to poison. As if I wasn’t already terrified whenever I turned a corner, now I have to be careful when I eat or drink anything. Do we know anything about the poison?”   
  
“It’s Marley made. Comes from one of their native plants and is illegal to bring over the border due to its potency. You’re lucky the arrow barely cut you but that explains why the wound ended up healing like that. I’m surprised it didn’t make you more sick even if it barely brushed you.” Armin turned to look at Levi as he continued.   
  
“I checked with the merchant’s logs to see if anyone in the castle bought any but all the requests generally go through me and I would have remembered seeing that. I couldn’t find anything but that makes sense. If they were working under our noses they wouldn’t be stupid enough to buy it so openly. We need to get the documents from the merchants but I doubt any of them would openly smuggle in illegal goods and give us their purchase history willingly.”   
  
Levi ran his hands through his hair while thinking over all the new information. You could practically see the gears turning and the steam coming from his ears. It was obvious that he was under just as much stress if not more than yourself.   
  
“So our first priority is her safety,” he jerked his head towards you, “and then once we settle her in we can look into a couple merchants. I only know a few who would be willing to take the risk of smuggling that shit. They’d know if there was an assassination attempt they would be the first ones to be under suspicion if they were found out. Was the king’s death made public yet?”   
  
“Ah, about that…” Armin turned to look at you while answering Levi’s question. “They want to have Annie on the throne within the next week or so depending on how quickly they can find you and get in contact with Marley. A kingdom with no ruler looks promising to any of our enemies and bad to our allies. The news of the king went public this morning.”   
  
You rubbed your temples. “So we only have a few days to clear my name without having to fight to overturn a coronation on top of that. And we all know Annie isn’t ready to be queen.”   
  
“I wouldn’t say that. Annie, well, after the King’s death she...changed. I can’t put my finger on it but she’s been _angry_ . But all of her decisions have been level-headed. This morning she spoke with the assembly and I’ve never seen her so up in arms about the line of succession. I think she _wants_ to be queen,” Armin responded.   
  
Instinctively you looked to Levi, always seeming to want his opinion on everything. A small smile quirked your lips upwards at the thought of making him a royal advisor. He’d hate it.   
  
Based on his look he was thinking exactly what you didn’t want to think. His jaw was set and his eyes were unfocused, gazing at something distant.   
  
“It wasn’t Annie,” you said angrily, making both the men turn to you in surprise.   
  
“Be honest with yourself. She was in the castle with us. Who's to say her little puppy dog guard wasn’t in on it?” Levi said, crossing his arms. “Not many would be so quick to change their tune after their father’s death and eagerly take the throne.”   
  
“It’s just a survival tactic. Eat or be eaten. If she doesn’t step up to the throne then who would? She thinks her sister is a murderer and this is her only choice! If she refused the assembly would swallow her whole and spit out a new successor,” you bit back.   
  
“Assuming she isn’t the one who paid off the assembly,” Armin pointed out, making you let go of him and look at him in disappointment. He shrank under your stare.   
  
“I can’t believe either of you. My sister wouldn’t want me _dead_ . We have no reason to believe that except for the same circumstances that me and Levi were suspected. She was in the castle but so were multiple servants and I’m sure someone could have slipped in.”   
  
“We’ll know more eventually. Lets just drop it and focus on the here and now. We have a lead with the poison and Kenny to deal with first. We don’t need to get ahead of ourselves,” Levi diffused the situation with a sense of finality that made you and Armin secede.   
  
While you waited for Erwin your time was mostly filled with silence and small talk. You and Armin had ended up sitting together, finding menial comfort in each other's touch and trying to awkwardly salvage a friendship that had almost been broken. Levi was quiet but you didn’t miss the way he tensed up when Armin’s hand would rest on yours or when he leaned in to put his head on your shoulder. Your bodyguard really was a bag of mixed signals.   
  
When the knock finally came it was like a bowstring snapping. Somehow your anxiety was finally able to ease up only to be replaced with a whole new series of worries. If this plan didn’t work what would you do?   
  
Levi opened the door and Mikasa and Eren slipped in with their hoods completely covering their faces, closely followed by Erwin who seemed oddly out of place with his lack of anonymity. In his hand he held a bag that no doubt had some more Kingsguard cloaks for the three of them. Your eyes followed Eren and Mikasa who also seemed to be holding bags as well but you weren’t worried about those as much as you were the still fresh looking wounds on their faces. A surge in your stomach threatened to make you sick.   
  
“We brought you both some clean clothes and some necessities,” Eren said. “We figured you might want a brush and uh, some soap. You guys look like you could use some soap.” His nose crinkled and he waved a hand in front of him to insinuate you smelt. In reality you could tell he was trying to get your attention off of their wounds.   
  
“They don’t hurt that bad. We’ve gotten worse in training,” Mikasa attempted, her approach a bit more blunt. You didn’t miss the way she winced trying to talk around the cut on her lip.   
  
“Now isn’t the time to linger on that,” Levi began as he handed out the cloaks and new clothes, “we need to get going and soon. The longer we linger the more likely Kenny will make his play first. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t already here or on his way because he caught on.”   
  
The three of you got dressed as quickly as you could manage and then sat down to brief Mikasa and Eren on the details of the plan. Eren looked a little bit shaken at the fact that he was going to be the only Kingsguard with you but after a small pep talk from Erwin he brightened up a bit. It was agreed he would have to stay with you for a while and then change outfits again so he could leave without tipping anyone off to where you were if they saw him in a guard cloak.   
  
Erwin also had made sure to find another dagger for Levi as well as for you and Armin. Hopefully neither of you would need to use it but if it came to life or death it made more sense to be armed rather than completely helpless in comparison to your comrades. When you looked to your friend he was shaking like a leaf as he made eye contact with his own reflection in the blade.   
  
Once everything was gathered up the six of you huddled around the door. You made sure to give everyone a fleeting hug, even Erwin. The room was quiet, tense. When Erwin finally reached for the door handle he looked back at everyone.   
  
“Remember, if we’re going to outwit our enemy we’re going to need to think outside the box. If things don’t go according to plan, trust your instincts. We’ll all be in touch soon.”   
  
He opened the door and fear gripped your heart as all of you surged forward into uncertainty.


	13. Get The Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has read or stuck with this fic thus far! I'm absolutely gobsmacked by how well received it has been and I owe it all to you guys!
> 
> I know chapters have become a bit slower the longer the work goes on, sorry bout that. The piece kind of has a mind of its own and ended up with an extra side plotline and now I'm trying to figure out how I want to resolve it haha. Hopefully within the next chapter or so we'll get more romance so stay tuned!

You’d half expected the whole world to implode in on itself the second you stepped out of the false sense of security the house had given you; however, everything seemed completely normal. Or as normal as it could be considering your predicament. An older gentleman passing by in a wrinkled shirt and dirty slacks was quick to hasten his pace as he saw all of you pour out of the abandoned building in Kingsguard regalia. Beyond his footsteps tapping along the cobblestone it was dead quiet. Eerily so.  
  
There was a moment of hesitation that sat heavily between the two groups but Erwin forced you all into action as he veered left and began walking. Levi acted as your designated leader for the time being and moved in the opposite direction, spurring you and Eren to follow. Fear gripped at your chest, tight and suffocating, but you didn’t have the liberty to stop and surrender to the growing panic. All that mattered was getting from point A to point B.  
  
As you traversed the cramped and poorly lit streets you couldn’t help but let your eyes track every possible movement in your peripheral. Levi had said little to nothing about who Kenny was but judging by the fact that Erwin knew him it was clear he was well known. For what you didn’t know, but you were positive that you didn’t want to. If his way of operating was as rough as his personality then you’d be happy if you never got the opportunity to see him again. Every single person you passed might as well have been a card in his deck, waiting to make a play.  
  
Levi eventually ended up slowing down as you moved onto a main street, making sure that the three of you were traveling in a pack as opposed to him leading. He actually adjusted in a way that allowed Eren to be the one moving a few steps ahead, likely trying to throw anyone who may notice you. There was no doubt the shorter man was prone to a leadership position and anyone would see right through his disguise if he blatantly guided the two of you. Unfortunately his stature was also a giveaway and Eren was more likely to mirror Erwin in size.  
  
Eren went with it quite well, taking Levi’s hushed instructions with ease and walking the paths as if he knew them by heart. The smoother things went the more you could feel your fear ebbing away. Perhaps if the three of you pretended to be confident that energy would emanate off of your group.  
  
Eyes followed you as you walked, that much was clear. It would be stupid of them not to notice you in the royal colors as you tramped through their home, scared their people. Some of them shied away and the more bold ones sneered in your direction. There was no love for ‘their kingdom’ down here. Not when the kingdom had failed them so astronomically. But if they assumed that all of you were guards then that meant others would hopefully do so as well. You should be untouchable from anyone who didn’t want to piss off the wrong people.  
  
So of course that was when you fucked up. When you got too comfortable, complacent with your inevitable success.  
  
It hadn’t seemed like an issue at the time, reaching for Levi’s hand out of instinct and searching for some sort of comfort from the man you had come to associate with said safety. Even if you two had made it crystal clear where your feelings stood you both acted as the other’s anchor thus far. He would never say as much but the truth hung between you, unspoken. So when he took your hand absentmindedly, having to reach back ever so slightly from his position in front of you, that’s when you confirmed your identities.  
  
Just as you were about to reach the darkened alley intended for you to shake any unwanted followers there was a loud holler from behind you, not unlike a battle cry of sorts. You turned your head and it felt like time slowed to a crawl as you made eye contact with a blonde woman who had slipped out from an unmarked door no more than a twenty feet back. All it would take was a quick sprint and she could be on top of you in no time. Judging by her scowl that was the intention.  
  
From above you there was another shout in response. That response was then followed by several others. You were surrounded and had been followed if not suspected of going down this route. How had you not noticed? How had Levi not noticed? How could you have been stupid enough to want to get handsy at a time like this?  
  
Speaking of hands, he squeezed yours firmly as you realized he had never let go of you, nor had your grip on him faltered when you had somehow ended up bursting into a sprint. It seemed your legs were pretty good at putting you on autopilot when things went to shit.  
  
Eren ended up falling back to take the rear, leaving Levi to take the lead and keeping you sandwiched ‘safely’ between the two of them. Even with two people you trusted implicitly that safety felt as fragile as a teacup. Something in your heart suddenly yearned for those cold mornings you had spent drinking tea and scuffling with Levi in the gardens.  
  
“Kenny wants the girl alive!”  
  
In a moment of hesitation, Levi turned to look back at you with wide eyes. The voice was no doubt one of your assailants but it hung over you with uncertainty. Did they know who you were? Was it because Kenny wanted to ‘sell’ you? Did they just not want to hurt you in case it triggered all hell to break loose from Levi? Questions pooled in your head but you didn’t have any answers.  
  
“I guess a kiss won’t get us out of this one, huh?” You joked as a chaotic and panic-stricken laugh bubbled up in your throat.  
  
Neither of the men laughed which only increased your anxiety, not that you could blame them. The longer you sprinted the more ragged your breathing became, unable to keep up with the two highly trained combatants that you were currently relying on to keep you safe. Every alley felt like it was a mile long and every turn made you feel even more lost. You felt useless here.  
  
Something went flying past your head, nearly grazing Levi as it passed. A knife of some sort, small and with a shorter blade than you’d ever seen, but definitely meant to cause some damage. Before you could question who the blade was meant for there was a crash in front of the three of you that sent flames licking up the walls of your destination, cutting off the only escape out of the current alleyway.  
  
“Fuck!” Eren yelled out as your movements halted, turning so his back was up against yours and he could face those coming up behind you. You could vaguely make out the sound of his longsword being unsheathed, a weapon that would do him little good in such cramped quarters but may be able to keep enemies at a distance for long enough to buy you some time.  
  
Levi surveyed the chance of being able to sprint through the flames but the fire managed to light up a ramada of sorts that had been made out of a fabric like material. There was no chance of moving forward without all of you sustaining injuries. You ended up trading spots with him and being pushed as far away from Kenny’s goons as possible, the heat of the blaze now to your back.  
  
“Kenny doesn’t care about either of you. Just give us the girl and we all walk away from this,” the woman from earlier said as she approached. She had a bottle in her hand, the rag protruding from its neck bobbing gently as she tossed it up and caught it casually. Her eyes had been trained on you for some time but she did allow them to flick over to Levi. “Doesn’t even want _you_ , surprisingly. Not that he’d _actually_ think about bringing you back into the ranks after you went around licking the royal’s boots. After all they’ve done to us? Disappointing.”  
  
He didn’t dignify her with a response but he did take a step back, bumping into you. You berated yourself as, in a moment of weakness, you yet again found yourself clinging to him. This time it was simply to grasp at his cloak as you fought the protective instinct to pull him closer, as if you could do anything. Yet even so you were hit with the sudden realization you would be more than willing to step in front of a blade for him. How counterproductive of your current mission.  
  
“Oh,” she doubled over suddenly, laughing, “so it’s not just her boots you’ve been licking, is it?”  
  
Surprisingly it wasn’t Levi who surged forward but Eren, sword held offensively and a harsh shout being ripped from his throat. It looked as though he was going to try to barrel straight through her. The woman barely flinched as she dodged the attack with a simple side step, letting Eren stumble past. She used her leg to swipe his feet out from under him and send him clattering to the cobblestone with a smirk.  
  
“That was your master plan?” She asked.  
  
No sooner had the words escaped her did Eren lash out with a dagger you hadn’t even known he had, slashing at her calf and leaving what was no doubt a sizable gash. The bottle she held dropped and shattered, its contents now useless. She went down almost as quickly, clutching her now bleeding calf and gritting her teeth in pain.  
  
“Caven!” Someone shouted worriedly.  
  
“Levi! Go!” Eren drowned out whatever else the voice may have had to say.  
  
The fire behind the two of you was still going strong but the various men and women on top of the buildings around you had yet to descend, leaving a completely clear path past the woman who was presumably named ‘Caven’. Even if she tried to stop you, Eren’s handiwork would make it near impossible, especially with all of you relatively unscathed beyond perhaps a few scrapes on Eren’s knees.  
  
“Shit. Something’s not right,” Levi cautioned you but was unable to offer much more explanation beyond that. His grip on your hand tightened and he broke into another run, jumping over Eren before he could stand and forcing you to do the same. It felt wrong to do so but you knew that it would all be worth nothing if you got caught now. Luckily you could hear his grunt from behind you and the telltale sound of his footsteps in your stead, too heavy to be Caven’s.  
  
 _Unluckily_ , he was being followed by a cacophony of other footsteps. It seemed everyone was now on the same page and there were about a half dozen others following hot on his heels.  
  
“Don’t look back!” Eren hollered and waved you away when he caught you glancing over your shoulder. You gulped and looked ahead, opting to focus on the back of Levi’s cloak instead. It was obvious he had a plan on where to take you but based off his movements but it seemed hopeless as you ran. Three against who knows how many people? They were gaining on you as well, not having to worry about an inexperienced addition to their group of combatants.  
  
Something stung your arm and caused white hot pain to jolt you out of your stupor and make you hiss in surprise. A blade had cut through the thick cloth of your cloak and managed to knick your upper arm, having missed Eren completely.  
  
“Sorry, princess!” Another unfamiliar voice boomed out before you bolted out of the way of another poor throw, this one aimed near your feet and caused you to stumble in your rush. For someone offering apologies they sure had shit aim.  
  
Just as you were turning a corner and thought you may be able to lose them in the dark, you slammed into Levi’s back and Eren slammed into yours. It was surprising that Levi barely moved an inch from all the momentum but after you saw what was in front of him you couldn’t blame him.  
  
“You really thought you knew this world better than me? You ain’t got nothin’ on me.” Kenny’s voice dripped with derogatory mirth and he bent down to get in Levi’s face. The shorter man’s fists clenched and if you hadn’t seen his jaw tense in hesitation you thought he might have thrown a punch. Part of you still wished he would.  
  
“Don’t touch her. I’ll play your stupid games if it means she walks out of here without being hurt,” he said unprompted.  
  
“Levi,” you tried to protest but as he pulled his hand out of yours you knew there wasn’t much you could say to sway whatever decision he was making. Once his mind was set it was set and you couldn’t exactly come up with a compelling argument at this point in time.  
  
“You’re willing to throw your life away for a pretty face? I thought I raised you better than that, kid.” Kenny’s voice suddenly had a deceptively softer tone that you almost didn’t pick up on. Raised? Levi couldn’t actually be related to this asshole, could he?  
  
Levi didn’t respond but the way he set his shoulders back and pressed into Kenny’s personal space was all the answer he needed to give. The older man looked dumbfounded for a moment.  
  
“Huh, didn’t think you’d actually stand your ground. What’s a shitty princess to you? You could come back down here and live like a king with us. What about it, Levi? King of the Underground!” He laughed and threw his arms out wide.  
  
“Thanks but I’d rather live my life without being surrounded by the smell of piss while I smuggled stolen goods,” he bit back.  
  
“Damn shame. You were always one of the best of us…”  
  
This was the first time you could see Levi visibly shaken. You were backed into a corner and there was no positive outcome that even he could come up with. Bile rose in your throat as you saw how slowly he raised his weapons towards Kenny, twirling the blade between his fingers to spin it around so he held the hilt in an overhand fashion. His knuckles were turning white from how tight he gripped it.  
  
“Last chance, Levi.” Kenny said, beginning to draw his own weapon. The second his fingers ghosted his blade, something came over you. In a fraction of a second all that rushed over you was the intense need to _protect_ . It wasn’t like you were coming out of this unscathed. With no one paying attention to the meek and helpless princess you clutched your own weapon in both hands, wringing the leather grip and wondering if this was the last time you’d get to see Levi. You wanted to kiss him but that was a line you couldn’t bring yourself to cross again.  
  
 _I would sacrifice everything, Levi. All of it._  
  
 _You have a lot to learn before you become queen._ _  
__  
_The memory of your pseudo argument swirled in your head. How could you protect a nation if you couldn’t even protect the man you loved?  
  
It took all of your effort to shove Levi out of the way, making him grunt in confusion as he stumbled to the side. His hand reached out for you in a moment of clarity but his fingertips just barely traced over the hem of your cloak, unable to grab on. With every last ounce of conviction in your body you sank your blade deep into Kenny’s shoulder, blood beginning to bloom almost immediately and stain your skin and weapon.  
  
You remembered somewhere in the back of your mind that if you wanted it to be effective you needed to actually pull the blade back out. It was much more difficult than pressing it in. With as much effort as you could muster you twisted the dagger and ripped it back out.  
  
The last thing you heard was Eren and Levi screaming your name as something hit you over the head, draping you in the dark comfort of unconsciousness.


	14. Con Artist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the extended wait! Chapter is a bit short but I'm hoping to keep trudging along. Fell into a bit of a slump for a couple weeks and ended up filling my time by absolutely slamming through all of My Hero Academia. But without further ado here it is!

Everything felt as though it was spinning and if you didn’t know better you would have thought you were teetering precariously on a boat going down the world’s most turbulent river. It took all your effort to keep your eyes screwed shut but you were positive if you opened them too quickly the room would simply turn on its side and send you crashing to the floor. In the darkness of your own making you took the time to catalogue everything around you that you feasibly could.   
  
Judging by the absolute throbbing in the back of your skull, someone had hit you. Probably with something blunt. Your hair felt tacky, whether with blood or sweat you couldn’t quite tell. Something rough and prickly rubbed against your ankles and wrists as you moved ever so slightly to curl your fingers and toes. Definitely rope. So you were tied up to a chair. How quaint.   
  
Blood had pooled in your hands as they were restrained behind you and you had to fight back a grunt of pain as you began to work the stiffness out of them one digit at a time. It was no telling how long you had been sitting there but the ache in your back was enough for it to have been too long.   
  
Your brain wanted to panic. Memories replaying in your head of every minute detail of the chase, the fight, the capture. All of it. It was as if you could feel the dagger still in your hands and the blast of hot air coming from the fire behind you. It made a cold chill of anxiety run up your spine.   
  
When you finally opened your eyes you did so with a slow determination not to dry heave as everything around you whirled like some sick optical illusion. You pressed your feet flat against the ground and took a deep breath to prevent the emotions in your chest from bubbling over.   
  
The room was barren bar for a couch, an empty chair that faced in your direction, and a couple of shipping crates that were adorned with the royal insignia. Were you in a shipping facility? It seemed unlikely that they would be able to transport you this far in what had to have been a short time. If you had been knocked out for more than a couple hours it would have been too likely that you would have permanent damage. Even common thugs knew as much. Don’t want to hurt your merchandise.   
  
You gulped.   
  
Were you merchandise?   
  
Something in you deflated in defeat. Even with your combat training and your bull headed heroics, you and Levi hadn’t exactly gone over hostage situations when you had been sparring. Not that you had been complaining at the time when you had him pressed up against you in the cold autumn air.   
  
You shook your head to clear it. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about the sorts of things. Instead you opted to begin jostling as your restraints and tilting your chair from side to side rather hazardously, risking toppling over all together.   
  
“Oi, you’re finally awake?”   
  
The voice made you stop dead, frozen in fear. It was obviously Kenny if the rough, surprisingly dulcet tone, was anything to go by. In the back of your head you pondered for a moment if the voice behind you would have been soothing if it wasn’t for the fact that you had stabbed the owner so recently that the wound was probably still bleeding.   
  
“Shit, I’ll take that as a yes. Did you have a nice nap? I was happy to help you out after you decided to use me as your own personal pin cushion. Who woulda thought a princess like you had it in ya?” His voice grew closer and almost comically gravellier. It was as if he was trying to put on a front. Years of learning how to read politicians and royals could tell you that much. Was he trying to mask the pain for his wounds or did he have an even worse ulterior motive?   
  
“The headache puts a damper on the post nap glow,” you bit out, not hiding the venom behind your words.   
  
Kenny pulled up the chair opposite of you and spun it around so he could straddle it, crossing his arms and resting them on the backing. His head followed suit, lazily propped up on his forearms.   
  
“I’ll try harder next time, princess. Sorry for the inconvenience. Though I think I’d take the headache over a stab wound. Nice form, by the way. The little twist was a nice touch.”   
  
A small smile played on your lips. Good. He deserved it for all he had done. Between the chase and Levi’s warnings it was obvious he wasn’t a good man. Not to mention the fact that you doubted him and his crew had bothered to get the fire they started under control and likely razed parts of the town and hurt others.   
  
“So, why do you think I brought you here?” He asked.   
  
Your smile faltered at the question, not sure what game he was playing at. Was he playing with his food or was he being genuine? Where was Levi? Or Eren? Erwin? Armin? Mikasa? Why  _ did  _ he bring you here? The panic you had tried so vehemently to stamp down was beginning to creep up on you again.   
  
“To sell me?” You croaked, cursing at how scared your voice sounded.   
  
Kenny looked at you inquisitively, genuine confusion riddling his features. “Sell you? We don’t sell people. Especially women. I’ve seen enough of them ripped apart by life in the brothels or working the streets. Is that really what you thought? No wonder you were willing to sink a blade into me.”   
  
“Then why the hell would you corner us on the streets, burn us out like rats, and try to keep us from escaping?” You questioned, desperate for an answer to cling to, as if it would help.   
  
“Because, dumbass, the merchants were tailing you.”   
  
All of the air left your lungs in one go. It was as if you had landed hard on your back and were struggling to stand up against the weight of his words. Was he telling the truth? Was this supposed to be a rescue mission? Or was he lying? Trying to lull you into a false sense of security so you didn’t fight back and try to give him a matching stab wound on his other side?   
  
“You sure have a funny way of trying to help people…” You said hesitantly, testing the waters for his reaction. Testing to see if you could find a crack in the story you were no doubt about to be subjected to.   
  
“You think  _ we’re  _ bad? Those slimy fuckers probably had eyes on you and Levi before you even left the castle. If I had a guess they probably took bets right on who could get their hands on you first. Us, them, or the nobles. I hope I cost them a pretty penny,” his words were only accentuated with a smirk as he continued, “but it would be stupid of us to show up trying to play friendly with y’all.”   
  
“What, so you send the equivalent of a small army after us to showboat? Sorry if I don’t exactly find that believable.”   
  
“Oh sweet girl, you’re missing the point. I don’t care if you find it believable. I care if the merchants did. And so far judging by all the Kingsguard flooding the underground  _ someone  _ had loose lips.”   
  
It was becoming increasingly frustrating being tied down. You wanted to fidget, to touch the fabric of your clothes or worry your hair between your fingers. Anything to help self soothe in some way and keep your thoughts streamlined while you tried to put the puzzle pieces together.   
  
“Where’s Levi? And the other boy I was travelling with?” You asked.   
  
“Not a damn clue. Second I knocked you over the head...well, Levi grabbed the other kid and ran like a bat out of hell.” Something in his eyes softened. “Sorry, princess.”   
  
Sadness wasn’t a foreign feeling for you but this felt all wrong. There was no slow build or melancholy ache. No, this was pure unadulterated pain. You allowed yourself to sag forward and let your arms and wrists bare the weight of your sudden limpness. It stung with the suddenness but it felt like nothing compared to the heat pooling in your eyes.   
  
_ He left you. _   
  
You weren’t mad in the least and that was what felt so strange. In fact, despite the pity you felt for yourself that Levi hadn’t risked it all to save you, you were happy. Running meant he was safe and even if you didn’t believe all of Kenny’s words, it wouldn’t make sense for him to lie about this. If anything he might have lied that Levi was somewhere locked up and being tortured within an inch of his life, but no, he had even apologized to you.   
  
At least if you died here, it would be knowing he was safe.   
  
“Alright, so you want the merchants to know you have me. Still doesn’t answer why you want me in the first place. Are you going to give me back to the nobles? Parade me around to show my ‘fall from grace’ to the people? Keep me around for shits and giggles?”   
  
“No, dumbass. We’re going to bargain with you.”   
  
“...you’ve lost me.”   
  
Kenny stood up and walked towards you, pulling a small knife from his breast pocket and kneeling before you. Half of you wanted to kick him in the balls but the other half ached to have the rope removed that he seemed to be eyeing. In the end you decided to behave.   
  
“Sorry ‘bout the rope. Wanted to make sure you didn’t go ballistic when you woke up. Plus you seem to know what to do with a knife and I’m willing to bet that short little shit taught you some basic fighting. Please don’t try to stab me again.”   
  
“No promises.”   
  
He laughed at that. “Alright, I’ll take it.”   
  
It took a few moments to free you of your restraints and when he did you bounded towards a far corner of the room like a wounded animal as you rubbed the raw lines left in your skin.   
  
“You say you want to bargain, so get on with it.” You hissed as he watched you quietly, making your skin crawl with how uncomfortable the silence made you feel.   
  
“Feisty, aren’t we? Alright. We know you didn’t kill the king.”   
  
To say you were getting very tired of surprises was beginning to feel like an understatement. If someone threw one more curveball at you it was going to make you scream.   
  
“Obviously but how do  _ you  _ know that?” You tried to keep up the tough persona but you were shaking in your boots at this point.  _ Hope _ . It wasn’t an impossible mission. Someone believed your innocence. Someone might even have the proof you so desperately need.   
  
Too bad you had no idea what their motives were.   
  
“Merchants think they’re high and mighty. That their shit don’t stink. But oh do we know their nasty little secrets. Nobody brings in Marley poison without it getting around. No, that’s dangerous and even  _ we  _ don’t want it down here. That poison was meant for someone and we knew it. Our sorry asses just had to find out who with the rest of Eldia.” He scratched at the scruff on his chin with his blade, making you wince.   
  
“And how do you know I wasn’t the one who bought the poison?” You asked.   
  
“Well, we didn’t at first. Until something didn’t quite add up. See, the only poison import from Marley? Over five years ago, princess. And the kid who bought it? Never seen him before in our life. Until he shows up in the Kingsguard a lot bigger and a lot older. Weird coincidence, isn’t it? Say, how long ago was it that your daddy decided to marry you off?”   
  
Realization hit you like a brick. You had first met Bertolt seven years ago and it wasn’t like the two of you really hit it off. Would he have hated you enough that he would buy the poison the second you were of age and staged an assassination when he was there? To feign innocence? Or would it have been the King of Marley?   
  
And then their plans failed. So they did the next best thing.   
  
Before you could reply you heard a yell and the door behind Kenny went flying open. The man didn’t look too surprised as he turned around.   
  
“Levi! Took you long enough!” Kenny laughed but was cut short when a blade came to rest against his throat, bobbing ever so gently against his Adam's apple as he swallowed.   
  
“Give me one reason not to kill you right now,” Levi’s voice bordered on a growl.   
  
“Because he can prove my innocence.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you so so much for all the amazing and wonderful comments you guys have been leaving and kudos you've been gifting. You have no idea how happy it makes me and it's half the reason I keep being able to pull myself back to my laptop and continue writing.


	15. Negotiations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! Hi, sorry guys for taking so long to update. The past few weeks have been a doozy but happy valentines day! Next chapter is going to be hopefully a bit fluffy, bit more relaxed.

Levi went slack jawed as his eyes darted from Kenny to you, seeming unable to comprehend how the _hell_ Kenny of all people could be the missing link you were needing. Not to mention how, if you were right, that meant the answer had quite literally fallen in your lap. Well, moreso that it had chased you down aggressively and forced you to acknowledge it. All that was missing was some wrapping paper and a bow.   
  
It only took those few seconds of lapsed attention for Kenny to knock the blade from his hand and send it clattering out of reach of either man. It was understandable. Nobody particularly wanted a blade at their throat, especially a blade being held by a former...whatever Levi was to Kenny. You froze, unsure if either of them would dive for the weapon but common sense seemed to win out over instinct. You guessed they weren’t particularly in the mood to brawl in an enclosed space, especially after the veritable information bomb had been dropped. However, if looks could kill...well, the room might have lit up quicker than the molotov cocktail from earlier.   
  
“And how is some shitty excuse for an alley cat supposed to be the one who saves you from the gallows? Worst he could do is give the nobles fleas.” Levi spat, his tone harsh and biting you to the core. For someone who was just about to risk their life for a would-be rescue mission he sure didn’t sound like he had a soft spot for you anymore. “Or did you fall for his sweet talk? Just because someone sounds like they know what they’re talking about doesn’t mean they actually do.”   
  
“Well that ain’t no way to talk to a princess now is-” Kenny’s voice deepened, sweet as syrup as he exaggerated his accent which you had still yet to place. It sure didn’t sound like anything you had ever heard before.   
  
“Shut the hell up.” Levi hissed, fingers curling and uncurling at his side as he stared longingly at his discarded blade. His gaze flitted to you once more and you found yourself shaking your head ever so slightly.   
  


“Levi he...it makes sense. What he told me. If he can back up his claims then we have no reason not to believe him-”  
  
It was your turn to get cut off as Kenny chuckled and skulked around Levi, his movements undoubtedly reminiscent of a feline with how lithe he was on his feet. Maybe Levi was right when he called him an alley cat. It wouldn’t surprise you to see him lurking in the dark recesses of the underground, only emerging to bare his teeth and hiss out a warning. Fear nagged at you, not wanting to know what he was like when he finally unsheathed his claws.   
  
“I don’t know how you didn’t recognize him, brat. You were there with me when we were shaking down the merchant for our share. You were young but you weren’t _that_ young. Marley poison? You really think anyone between now and then would have had the balls to smuggle that in after the number we did on Reeves? We couldn’t have that shit passing through here again or it would be on all of our heads.” Kenny looked smug as he spoke, prodding at Levi and obviously trying to rile him up by holding the answer just out of reach. Not giving him enough to connect the dots without having to strain to remember.   
  
“That was years ago. We never found the poison. You expect me to believe it’s the same shit they used on the king? Who would wait that long to actually commit an assassination? A sleeper agent? The kingdom would have seen that from a mile away.” Levi bit back, not wanting to admit that there were flaws in his own logic.   
  
“How long ago? Five years? Six? When did your…” Kenny turned his gaze to you and then back to Levi, “partner in crime...when was her official engagement, hm? When did they make it a public record?”   
  
“Hardly a month or two ago.” Levi scoffed at the question, making it glaringly obvious he didn’t keep up with politics   
  
“No...Levi, they signed the documents several years ago. When I first met Bertolt. The most recent meeting was just a pleasantry. _For show_ . We invited Marley to come spend some time in the castle and me and Bertolt were meant to make public appearances. Ease any worries about the upcoming arrangements, let the people know that we were in love and had their best interests in mind. Do you really not get that information down here?” You twiddled your thumbs as you spoke, not enjoying talking about the betrothal in the least.   
  
“To put on a show...but then…” Levi looked to Kenny with wide eyes.   
  
“The blonde boy. Never saw his sorry hide ever again after the tip off. Second he knew we were on his scent he disappeared. Always figured he went topside but we knew if he did, that finding him was about as likely as a cold day in hell,” Kenny sounded pissed off, the prospect of losing his prey not seeming to sit well with him even all these years later.   
  
“Blonde boy?” You asked half-heartedly. The only blonde you could think of off the top of your head was Armin and _maybe_ Jean if you squint. Or if it was dark. Or if you didn’t know what blonde looked like.   
  
“Reiner…” Levi’s knuckles were ghost white with how hard he was clenching them. The logical part of your brain should have been more surprised about the revelation but the only thought that managed to stay at the forefront of your mind was that you hoped Levi wasn’t hurting his palms with his nails.   
  
Today really was the day you lost your sanity, wasn’t it?   
  
“Reiner is with Annie...he was with her that night. Annie would have said something if he had left her. He couldn’t have. She would have said something. Right?” Your eyes darted to Levi’s face, the thin line of his mouth doing nothing to quell your rapidly growing doubts. In desperation you looked to Kenny but found nothing but a mirror image of tight lips in a pained expression of understanding. You didn’t want to believe the implications.   
  
“Look, kid, we won’t jump to assumptions but you can’t lie to yourself. It’s a lot of coincidences adding up and they don’t look too good for the queen-to-be,” Kenny grunted as he turned his body to you and reached out. It was odd having a stranger you had just stabbed try to offer you comfort but you welcomed it, leaning forward ever so slightly as he patted your shoulder.   
  
Levi was on you in a flash, his fingers gripping your waist like a vice as he pulled you into his chest in a possessive hug, glaring absolute daggers at the older man for even _thinking_ it was okay to touch you, much less actually go through with it. You grunted in surprise but the warmth of his chest under your hands as you were squished up against him was arguably better than a hesitant pat on the shoulder from your previous attacker.   
  
“I still don’t believe we’ve gone over what it is exactly that you want in return for all this information,” Levi spat out. The grip on your waist had quickly devolved into his arms wrapping around your body in a hug that you weren’t going to complain about. You nuzzled into his neck ever so slightly, willing to bask in the trace moments of affection while you could still get them. That was, before things inevitably went to shit again. Unfortunately Levi stiffened under your ministrations ever so slightly, making you stop short with a disappointed frown.   
  
Kenny’s voice dripped with that poisonous mirth you were already becoming accustomed to in just the mere hours you had known him. It also felt like his moral alignment was all across the board. “You know what I want, kid. Same thing I’ve always wanted. Power. Now don’t get me all wrong, I ain’t gonna ask for the lady’s hand in marriage but I want something only she can give. Land. Money. I want to be up where the sunshine is and I want to be able to get into all sorts of trouble. This place has been gettin’ real boring.”   
  
Levi clutched you tighter. “And if we agree, will you be able to get us those merchant’s logs? Physical evidence?”   
  
“Scouts’ honor. I already have the papers here. Wouldn’t want to look unprepared now, would I?” His words were followed by the soft crumpling of parchment that was no doubt the logs in question. You were jostled as Levi leaned forward and grabbed the papers, shoving them into his pocket while refusing to relinquish his grip on you.   
  
“Fine!” Levi barked out. “ _If_ the princess is found innocent, we get you what you want. And if she isn’t…?”   
  
Part of you wanted to argue with Levi making agreements on your behalf but being held was intoxicating and making you realize just how tired and sore you were. It was taking all your willpower not to fall asleep while standing. The rope burns on your wrists and ankles throbbed and being unconscious again was alarmingly tantalizing. Not to mention the fact that your second wave of adrenaline was beginning to crash. Hard.   
  
Lucky for you, Kenny seemed to know the perfect way to wake you back up.   
  
“Well if her pretty little neck ends up in the hangman’s noose, you’ll be needing a new employer, won’t you?”   
  
There was a suspiciously resigned sigh from your self-sacrificing bodyguard.   
  
“Levi, no.” You pushed away from him, finally finding your voice as you were forced to put your foot down. It was met with a small scoff from him and a confused grunt from Kenny.   
  
“What?” Levi leveled you with a stare that normally might have made you shrink away with its intensity, but anger coiled around your heart and steeled your nerves. Every muscle felt rigid as you met his eyes, unwavering.   
  
“I _said_ no. I’m not taking that as part of the deal. You aren’t going to get dragged back down here to wither away under the thumb of some man who only wants to use you. If I die, I want to die knowing I didn’t ruin your life. I’m selfish like that,” you replied.   
  
The room was tense, waiting to see who spoke first. You expected it to be Levi perhaps admonishing you for trying to force your decision on him. Maybe even call you a shitty excuse for royalty. It really wouldn’t have been too off brand for him. So when it was actually Kenny who piped up, it caught both of you by surprise. You hadn’t even noticed that you and Levi had been taking part in a staring contest, apparently having a battle of wills.   
  
“Alright, shit. I’m not stupid enough to think I can get away with going against a woman trying to protect her lover even in death. How bout’ this...you die and that little steward of yours sets up a side fund for us ingrates. Steady trickle of money but enough to get our sorry asses to the surface,” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he spoke.   
  
“How did you know about Armin?” You asked cautiously, beginning to realize that you had absolutely no idea of what had become of the rest of your group while you had managed to get caught.   
  
“We’re not idiots, princess. We had ears on you the entire time you were making your little plan. Not shabby but the walls down here are thin. We know the kid would be willing to do it, too. Definitely smart enough to pull it off, especially if that Knight Commander of yours is in on it. It ain’t what I originally had in mind but it’ll still work. Besides, s’pose that little asshole would just be an extra mouth to feed to in the long run,” he jerked his head toward Levi in reference to him.   
  
It was giving you whiplash with just how quick he was willing to concede on his original plan.   
  
As you looked at Levi, you thought you might have figured out why. He looked away the moment you had turned your attention to him, but based on the softness of his features in that split second it was no wonder Kenny might have felt some semblance of guilt. Had he been looking at you the entire time your back was turned?  
  
“Fine.” You didn’t hesitate to agree. If you were going to die it was going to be knowing you were leaving Levi behind with his freedom. That’s all you cared about in the long run, really. You didn’t want him to feel tied down to anything. Anyone. You bit the inside of your cheek until you tasted iron, wanting to will away the bitter feeling that kept managing to rear its ugly head. He didn’t belong to you and he sure as fuck didn’t belong to Kenny.   
  
The taller man clapped his hands together happily. “Well alright then. We got a deal. I’d ask ya to shake on it but I don’t think I want Levi to bite my damn hand off for touching you again. But we did our part. Rest is up to you. Not sure if them nobles will take the merchant’s log and let you off scott free. Probably gonna need a bit more than that…” Kenny continued droning on about the different types of evidence _he_ would look for in your situation but it was lost on you as your head drooped heavily.   
  
“Hey, Kenny. Did you tell your lackeys you were planning to get me back? That new one, blonde woman, said you were just looking for the princess. Didn’t seem like any of them wanted fuck all to do with me.” Levi spoke absentmindedly as he reached out to you once more, seeming to catch on to your growing state of exhaustion as he held you close.   
  
“Ah, Caven? Nah, didn’t tell her or any of em anything besides to grab the girl without hurting her. I warned em about you, though. Said that if they want to keep their lives that they should try not to fight you. Pure coincidence you managed to run right to me, though. I was trailing the other group when they managed to give me the slip. Most of the shit I said when I first showed up on your doorstep was real. Was going to make your life hell for showing up again. Never thought you would have dragged a pretty thing like her with you.” He grouched.   
  
“Did you even know she was the princess?” Levi bristled a bit, still seeming to be looking for some answers to an unknown question.   
  
“No, not originally. Not until Erwin showed up. We had to change plans on the fly. Realized she was more valuable than you, no matter how good you are with a blade. Kinda funny, though...” He scratched at his chin as he looked between the two of you.   
  
“What is?” Levi bit out.   
  
“Never thought you’d be interested in anyone. You had plenty of opportunities when you were running with us. Figures that when you finally decided to go soft on someone it would be a damn royal.”   
  
Even in your haze that made you chuckle. If only Kenny knew that Levi’s soft spot was more like...well, it definitely wasn’t soft enough for him to stick around after he dropped you on the throne and didn’t have to babysit you anymore.   
  
“Yeah, figures,” Levi replied quietly, his grip on you tightening by a fraction and earning a soft sigh of contentment from you. Kenny chuckled.   
  
“Well get the fuck out of here, then. Before anybody else shows up and puts your plans on hold again. None of my crew is going to bother you from here on out. You know how to find me kid.” You could vaguely hear Kenny moving around as he spoke, walking a good distance away from Levi’s blade on the ground and flopping heavily in the chair you had long left vacant.   
  
Levi maneuvered you to his side as you walked out, making sure to grab his blade as he did so. Then off you went into yet another foreign environment. It was dark and the floorboards creaked under your feet but you had never felt lighter. Things were going to be okay. They had to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi not having any witty remarks when Kenny calls him out for being soft for the reader:  
> 👁️👄👁️


End file.
